Maiden Belle
by SeaEmerald
Summary: "Brandon Alexander Shields, you will pick a girl right this instant! Who will you marry? !" his mother yelled angrily. His lips formed into a smirk as he pointed to his left, "That maid over there."
1. The Deal

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WINX CLUB.**

 _ **So I'm currently on a roll posting random stories with single chapters. I promise that I'll try my best to write ALL of them (if you want me to :P)**_

 _ **So I'm just posting my ideas here so I don't forget any of them. If you want me to continue, pleaseeee let me know :) I'd love to know what YOU think :D**_

 _ **Moving on...!**_

* * *

 **~ Shields' Household - 6:00 AM ~**

So what would _anyone_ do at six in the morning? I don't know about you guys, but if it's a weekend, then I'll be sleeping in. If it's a weekday...I'll probably be up (I totally blame college). ANYWAY, the point is people don't want to wake up that early in today's modern world. But things are different in the Shields' household. A few maids rushed in and out of the kitchen, desperate to get in sync with the speeding clock. Others sped off to get chores done for the owners of the house.

A tall, muscular brunette stepped out of his lavish marble-tiled bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. He ruffled his wet hair as he reached near his bed to get dressed. His black suit was freshly pressed and placed on his bed along with a matching black tie beside it. He turned on the air conditioner and set it to the coolest level. He instantly welcomed the chilly air that hit his face and exposed body. He dried his hair with another towel. A few minutes later, he cast the towels aside and got dressed.

In moments, he found himself standing in front of a full-length mirror that showed off his handsome face, broad shoulders, muscular torso, and towering height. Smirking slightly, clearly satisfied with his appearance, he grabbed his phone and exited the room.

"Dr. Shields, breakfast is ready," an older woman warmly greeted him from below as he descended down the stairs. "Thank you, Ms. Faragonda," the brunette smiled. He asked, "Is Musa up?" Faragonda shook her head, "Should I wake her up?" He shook his head and mouthed, "Not yet. After my mom leaves." Faragonda nodded as she smiled slyly. He chuckled as he continued down the stairs.

"Morning, dad," the brunette greeted his father who was sitting in the living room drinking coffee and reading the daily newspaper. "Morning, son," Lucas Shields smiled.

Brandon went over the dining table many feet away and was immediately greeted by a delectable aroma of eggs, chicken, and pancakes. He took out his phone and tapped away hurriedly as he ate. "Brandon, eyes on your food as you eat," a straight-laced voice spoke from behind. Heather Shields...a woman who believed in manners, etiquette, and discipline.

"It's kind of important, mom," Brandon dismissed. He suddenly stood up from the table while grabbing a piece of French toast. "Gotta go. Bye!" he hollered on the way as he sprinted outside while munching on the bread.

* * *

 **~ Shields Conglomerates - 8:00 AM ~**

Brandon Shields sipped from a cup of black coffee as he read over an article on the Internet with amusement. _For real?_ he thought with a smirk.

 _Brandon Shields...one of the most eligible bachelors and the most sought after in the state. He took over his parents' company when he was just twenty one years old. Five years later, he not only catapulted the family business to the top, but he also managed achieved a Doctorate in Business Administration. And now the word is...he's probably got a new love interest! Yes, that's right, folks! A man who was never seen with a woman beside him before has now been spotted with a gorgeous lady! Could this woman be his lady love? Stay tuned to find out!_

Brandon laughed at the absurd news.

"Hey, man. What's up?"

Brandon looked up to see his longtime best friend and partner in business, Sky Eraklyon, entering through the office. Sky was blonde and handsome too with a similar muscular stature. _Rich men and their hotness is just too much to handle._

"I talk to one hotel receptionist and suddenly she apparently becomes my lady love," Brandon smirked as he quoted from the article on the computer. The blonde man chuckled. "That's what you get for being famous, buddy."

Brandon chuckled. "So what's up, Sky?"

"Oh. We kinda have a problem. In order to start the latest project, we kind of need a hundred acres..." Sky trailed off.

"We have permission to use the land outside the city."

"We do except...a few of the acres belong to a civilian."

Brandon shrugged, "Then use the land aside from those acres."

"We can't. You see, those acres are right in middle of our assigned land. We called the owner. Apparently, it's an ancestral property so he isn't agreeing to give 'em away."

"For real? Fine, I'll go negotiate. Meanwhile, I need you to go and draw out those blue prints," Brandon said as he stood up and shut down his laptop.

"What if he doesn't relent?" Sky asked.

Brandon smirked, "He will. Believe me, he will. There's no one in this world who won't succumb to money. Text me his address."

Sky chuckled and nodded. The two best friends fist bumped as the brunette left the office.

* * *

 **~ New York City, New York - 8:40 AM ~**

Brandon adjusted his suit slightly as he eyed in front of the two-story house. The building was beautiful with a big lawn in front of it. He climbed up the stairs and rang the doorbell. Brandon stood around for a few moments before ringing it again.

The lock suddenly started to turn from the inside and a gruff voice yelled out. "I told you damn dogs that I don't want no food!" Brandon raised an eyebrow as the door opened fully revealing a middle aged red-haired man.

The fifty something year old man stopped short when he noticed the richly looking young man at his doorstep. A sudden smile plastered onto his face. "Oh I'm so sorry, lad. I thought it was someone else. Tell me, what can I do for you?"

 _The power of money,_ Brandon thought with a small smirk. Brushing it off, he smiled. "I was hoping to talk to Mr. Radius Solaria?"

The man in front of him nodded. "That's me. Do come in."

Brandon slightly smirked as he followed Radius inside. His dark brown eyes trailed over the interior of the house. The inside was beautifully decorated in a vintage style. Too bad the owner inside it is too much of a moron to appreciate it.

"Please sit down," Radius kindly ushered. Brandon smiled and took a seat into a black leather chair. "Coffee?" Radius asked. Brandon nodded with a smile but cringed on the inside.

"HEY! Get us two cups of freshly brewed coffee!" The man yelled loudly. A second later, he turned to Brandon and addressed him with a smile, "What can I do for ya? Oh and uh take your coat off if you want." Brandon tightly smiled and took off his jacket. He hung it over his arm loosely and cleared his throat.

"I'm Brandon Shields, the CEO of Shields Conglomerates. Here, this is my card." He handed Radius a business card. The middle-aged man's eyes widened as Brandon revealed his identity. Radius dumbly nodded.

"We're currently working on a project. And the land we require for the construction is also merged with your property. We're hoping you can sell it to us. For a reasonable compensation, of course."

"Ahhh...the property, eh? Well...how much are you gonna give me? I want a hundred grand at least."

"We've evaluated your property and it's worth no more than fifty thousand dollars."

"Alright, fine. How about eight grand then, hmm? You need me more than I need you," Radius smirked.

Brandon clenched his jaw. He remained silent for a few moments debating on what to do. This stupid _moron_ is lucky that Brandon is such a nice guy.

"So what do you say? Eighty grand. Take it or leave it."

 _Thirty thousand isn't much of a loss compared to the profit. Oh well. Whatever._ Brandon opened his mouth to negotiate further when a girl walked in with a tray with two steaming mugs. Must be the maid. She held out the tray to Radius who took a mug. Brandon looked up as the girl walked up to him. She held out it to him in a similar fashion silently. Brandon reached to take the mug before he was interrupted.

"I TOLD YOU BLACK COFFEE WAS MY FAVORITE!" Radius suddenly snarled making the girl jump. She gasped as the tray tilted and the glass mug fell over. Brandon sucked in a breath when he felt hot coffee burn through his crisp white shirt and sting his skin. Radius's eyes widened and he stood up indignantly.

"You idiot! Now look what you've done!" he yelled. The girl jumped again. Brandon's eyes widened slightly when he noticed how the young girl shivered with fright.

"Mr. Solaria, it's all right. It was just an accident," Brandon spoke calmly as he stood up. The girl looked as if she's about to pass out any second judging from how she shook uncontrollably. Brandon raised an eyebrow at the behavior of the girl, whom he's presuming as a maid.

"I'm so very sorry. She still has a lot to learn. How about she cleans it up for you?" Radius offered.

"No, it's okay-"

"No, please. Hey, what're you looking at? Take the shirt right now and wash it."

Brandon sighed. The girl immediately nodded and turned to him. She ushered him upstairs with her arm. Brandon silently followed her upstairs into a room.

"I'm...so sorry. I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry again," the girl softly spoke up. Her voice was so low and her eyes were cast down.

Brandon raised an eyebrow slightly puzzled at her behavior. Was she a maid or a slave? "Like I said, it was just an accident. It's cool," he replied as he unbuttoned his shirt. Thankfully, the coffee didn't run down his pants. "What's your name?" Brandon curiously asked. He can't even see her face especially at the angle she cast it down.

She didn't reply. Okay? Instead, she opened one of the closets and took out another white shirt. "Um...I hope this fits you..." she said lowly. Brandon scratched his ear slightly and wondered if he was going deaf. Ugh, this whole house was weird. He took off his shirt and took the one in her hand. He disgustedly wore it. It was probably the ill-tempered idiot's shirt.

 _ **Twenty minutes later...**_

Brandon found himself standing on the same porch again bidding a temporary goodbye to the moron.

"You can pick up your shirt tomorrow. Sorry about that again."

Brandon nodded. "Uh thanks but you don't have to."

"No no no, it's totally fine," Radius smiled.

Brandon nodded again and turned on his heel. He marched up to his black Mercedes quickly not wanting to be here any longer than he had to.

* * *

 **~ Shields Conglomerates - Top Floor - 10:00 AM ~**

"So? Fill me in," Sky eagerly asked. Brandon smirked as he walked in and threw his jacket on his chair. He loosened his tie. "Sixty grand, buddy. Guess he was really desperate for money. You guys can't negotiate right."

"What? No way! Dude, he literally told us to piss off over the phone."

"Eh well I don't know. His uh...maid or whoever spilled coffee on me and he thought I was gonna sue him for that," Brandon chuckled.

"Hmm. Damn. Well, whatever. At least it worked out. By the way, you have a meeting in fifteen minutes. I'd suit up if I were you. I'll get you the blueprints meanwhile," Sky informed on the way out.

Brandon nodded. He immediately took off Radius's shirt and threw it aside rudely. He opened his drawers and searched for the stack of emergency clothes he always had available. He threw on a fresh clean shirt and slighly rolled back his stiff shoulder blades.

Work was busy as usual, but Brandon enjoyed it every bit. He's a natural workaholic, but he played fair. He treated his employees with impartiality. He eased their working hours but set strict deadlines. To many people in the real world, people like him were seen as ruthless businessmen. But those who're close to him know his true character. Brandon Shields played it fair and square. Many of his employees _liked_ working under him rather than his strict mother. Heather Shields made occasional visits to 'set the employees in their places' as she put it. But Brandon usually informed everyone about her 'surprise' visits beforehand.

 _ **Later that day...**_

 **~ Shields' Household - Brandon's Room - 11:00 PM ~**

Brandon lay against the headboard of his bed and peered into his laptop. He organized tomorrow's schedule on the calendar carefully. He told Sky earlier this afternoon to prepare the papers for the property by tomorrow. He set his phone on mute and shut off his laptop. With a sigh, he lay down on the mattress and pulled the blankets up till his waist.

His face suddenly formed into a grimace at the thought of paying Radius a visit tomorrow. He never met such an ill-tempered man before. Maybe because he's usually cooped up in his office either attending meetings or reading boring files. Is this how some people are? He has negotiated before, sure, but never with people other than his clients. He had a knack for persuading people thanks to his natural charm and looks.

His mind travelled from Radius to the girl. She seemed younger than him although he didn't really see her face. She either covered it using her hair as a thick curtain or by looking down at the floor at a ninety degree angle. Why did she work at his place if he's that horrible? Did she have no other choice but to work wherever she could?

 _Why am I thinking about other peoples' lives?_ Shrugging his wild thoughts away, he soon drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **~ Shields' Conglomerates - Top Floor - 8:00 AM ~**

Brandon sipped his coffee as he reviewed what Sky had sent him earlier about the property.

"Any more revisions, Your Highness?" Sky smirked. Brandon rolled his eyes. Sky was good at his job. He was _really good,_ but he can be a showoff sometimes.

"It looks great. I just need to get that moron to sign it and we're good," Brandon replied.

"Do I need to come with?" Sky asked slyly.

Brandon rolled his eyes. "You want to come for the easy part? Dude, go eat your bagel or whatever," he snapped as he neatly placed the stack of papers into his bag and stood up. Sky laughed and patted his friend's back before heading out.

Brandon sighed as he eventually made it out of the building. "I should've sent Sky. This is freaking ridiculous!" he muttered as he hopped into his car. The frustrated brunette started the ignition and soon, he was on his way.

* * *

 **~ 8:45 AM ~**

Radius Solaria bore out his thirty two teeth into a wide smile as he greeted Brandon enthusiastically. The brunette cringed as the older man patted his back. He didn't want to be here as it is and this physical touchy feelings weren't helping at all.

In a few moments, Brandon found himself smiling as fake as possible in front of Radius. "So the papers are ready and so is the money. You just need to sign these and we'll be good to go," he said.

"Sure and uh no hard feelings about yesterday, right?"

Brandon resisted the urge to yell in exasperation. "Please. You're making a big deal out of nothing," he replied with his jaw clenched. _Any more stupid words from this moron and I'll knock his wisdom teeth out,_ he sighed.

"Here's your shirt. Thank you for yesterday," Brandon gave the article back to Radius. He, _again,_ suppressed the need to throw it into the older man's face. He pushed the stack of papers to Radius and gave him a pen as well as a suitcase filled with the appropriate amount of dollar bills. **(NOTE: I don't know how these deals work, so I'll just rush through it.)**

Radius took it with a grin. "HEY! BRING THE YOUNG MAN'S SHIRT!"

 _Hey? Is that the girl's name now?_ Brandon sourly thought. He impatiently waited as Radius took his time in signing the documents. A moment later, he looked startled when he saw the same girl from yesterday enter into the room. It's not her presence that surprised him. It's her appearance. She was covering herself from top to bottom even in...summer. She wore a sweater and gloves as well as a beanie. Her whole face was covered with a woolen scarf. Even her hair seemed to have vanished somewhere within the clothing articles. _What the hell?_ Brandon's eyes widened. Just yesterday, she was trotting around in a dress.

He stared up at her appearance as she gingerly held out a cover. She uncomfortably shifted from one foot to another when she felt his gaze on her. The girl looked away and Brandon was left staring at her ridiculous outfit in amazement. She jiggled the cover slightly to get his attention which worked. Brandon snapped out of his trance and took the cover. "Thank you," he said his gaze not leaving her.

She nodded as she quickly left the room.

"Who is she?" Brandon asked as soon as she left, unable to keep it in.

Radius looked up from the documents and shivered in disgust. "Oh you mean that useless girl? She's just a waste of my time and energy. I don't even know why I treat her right."

Brandon pretended to nod in understand but in truth, he didn't get any new information from that sentence. He kind of got all of that yesterday except for the last sentence. _I don't even know why I treat her right?_ He rolled his eyes and scoffed internally. _I wouldn't be surprised if this bastard hit her,_ he thought. Suddenly, Brandon's eyes widened as a lightbulb went off in his head. _That's it._ He was abusing her...and as a result, she covered herself to conceal the injuries. _Oh my God..._ his lips slightly parted as realization dawned over him. But what can he do?

That girl apparently had a problem with speaking at audible levels. So he can't go straight up and ask her. But...the way she leapt ten feet into the air yesterday when this idiot called her out...it wasn't being startled. It was _fear._ It was real fear.

"All done," Radius smiled as he took the suitcase greedily and pushed the papers to Brandon. But the brunette remained glued into the seat. His eyes danced into the direction where the young girl just disappeared into. _Maybe I can get her out?It's useless to have all this money when I can't help a girl...I'll just ask her. If she's not in trouble, she can always come back._

Radius noticed the look on Brandon's face. "Hey, uh what're ya lookin' at?"

The serious look shifted into something else. A look that any man can easily identify with. "...I want her," he finally said. Radius's eyes widened. Brandon turned to Radius with an evil smirk. "You just said that she's a waste of your time and energy. Let me take her."

"...are you serious?"

"Oh yeah. Believe me...no one will ever have to know. That girl has relatives?"

"Nope. She's an orphan."

"Then it's cool. I'll make sure she never escapes. I don't have money for nothing," Brandon smirked as he stood up.

Radius's gears turned. Soon, a smirk came onto his greedy face. He evilly turned into the same direction.

 _So I was right..._ Brandon thought in disgust and anger. Suddenly, Radius marched off alarming Brandon. A few seconds later, he heard a hard sound which definitely was a slap to someone's face. The brunette's heart clenched when he heard whimpers of a female. His eyes flashed in anger. His jaw clenched and his hands formed into fists by his sides. Soon, Radius appeared again but this time, he dragged the poor girl by her neck. He pushed the girl to Brandon who caught her.

"No, please! Please don't do this!" she cried. Brandon grasped her arm and her arm flailed wildly to break free. But his grip remained free and firm.

"You _bitch._ Now I'm finally rid of you!" Radius growled as his hand formed into a fist. He aimed it into her face. She instinctively covered herself and Brandon's eyes widened as the fist flew. Just before it could collide with the girl's jaw, Brandon held out his free arm and stopped the blow.

"Enough. I'll take care of it now," he said with a smirk. He looked down at the girl who was still ridiculously cried. The only things visible were light brown eyes, but even they were shadowed by random scarves. He resisted the urge to comfort her and tell her that she's got it all wrong. He's not some man whore who exploits women just for the heck of it. _Please. Just a few more minutes._

To make it more convincing, he grasped her arm and took the documents. "If you scream, I'll kill you," Radius threatened from behind. The girl instantly shut up making Brandon's eyes flare. Seriously?! Ugh. One more minute and Radius will have a permanently disfigured face.

Radius opened the front door and Brandon took her by the hand. The latter opened the passenger door in the driveway and pushed her inside. He went over to his side and looked back at Radius once more. "I'll see you again, Mr. Solaria," he said coldly. _In a jail cell watching you rot._ Radius grinned in glee like an idiot.

Without another word, Brandon got inside and pulled out of the driveway.

* * *

 **~ Shields' Household - 10:00 AM ~**

Brandon pulled the whimpering girl out of the car gently this time. He looked around to make sure no one was watching. The servants are usually in the kitchen this time, so there should be no one hanging around his room at this time. He pulled on her hand as they made their way inside.

In a few minutes, Brandon found himself locking the bedroom door behind him. He turned around to face her, who immediately cried out. "Please! Please don't hurt me! I'll...I'll do anything!"

Watching her cry made his heart ache. "Take those things off," he said softly. He took a step closer and she instinctively took one back. She waved her arms around to stop him from coming any closer. He suddenly grasped her arm and pulled her a few steps towards him.

"Take the stupid scarves and sweater off. You look ridiculous," he said. "I'll stop if you take them off."

She stopped and looked at him curiously. She didn't seem to believe him, but whatever. She'll take any chance she got. She quickly removed her gloves and slightly rubbed her hands together. She unbuttoned the sweater and took it off revealing a yellow shirt underneath. With a sniffle, she slowly removed the scarf from around her face. The woolen cloth fell to the floor as she lifted her head up.

Brandon's eyes widened. She wasn't a girl...she was a young woman. And...and...

 _She's so beautiful,_ he thought as his jaw dropped slightly. Her eyes were hazel tinted with a golden honey color. His features were soon marred by a frown when he realized the bruises on her beautiful face. Her forehead had a cut and her cheeks were covered with reddened finger stamps. Radius must've hit her hard. Her eyes...they were beautiful but they looked so vulnerable and _broken._

He took a step closer and it was enough for her to go crazy again. "Please don't! Please-!"

Her cries went muffled as he tugged on her arm and pulled her into an embrace. Hugging her was probably not a good idea since it's kind of weird to go around hugging random strangers. But this girl's eyes looked so broken and it made his heart ache. He felt as if she needed a hug right now.

"Please. I'm not going to hurt you. I lied to get you away from him."

She stopped moving and squirming in his arms. He let her go when she calmed down and took a step backwards.

"Sit," he demanded as he pointed towards a chair. She nodded slightly. Brandon looked taken aback when she perched herself on the floor cross-legged. "Um. I meant on the chair," he said in shock. _Who was this girl?_ She instantly stood up and followed his finger. Brandon pulled out another chair and sat in front of her.

"Is Radius hitting you?" he asked getting directly into the point. She looked away unable to answer. He opened his mouth to say something before his phone maniacally went off. Rolling his eyes, he cut the call when he saw the caller ID as none other than Sky. Presumably to ask how the deal went. Brandon set it on mute and set the phone aside.

He turned to her again. "No one here will judge you, okay? I want to help. So I'll ask again. Is that man abusing you?"

She nodded as tears fell from her eyes.

He placed a palm on top of her hand. "What's your name?" he gently asked.

She sniffled. She looked up at him and he was instantly hooked to her face.

"...Stella...My name is Stella."

* * *

 **So...that's the** _ **first**_ **chapter. And whether or not there will be a second totally depends on you! Thank you so much for reading!**

 **Please review if you can :)!**


	2. Her New Job

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WINX CLUB. (And I don't like this disclaimer *sobs*)**

 **Once again, thank you thank you for the love & support! I've thanked each of the reviewed users personally. I wish I can thank the guest reviewers too, but since I can't, I'll just do it here:**

 **THANK YOU :)**

 **Moving on...! (There will be some of first chapter repeated in here, so it's not a glitch or anything like that.)**

* * *

 **~ Shields' Household - 10:00 AM ~**

Brandon pulled the whimpering girl out of the car gently this time. He looked around to make sure no one was watching. The servants are usually in the kitchen this time, so there should be no one hanging around his room at this time. He pulled on her hand as they made their way inside.

In a few minutes, Brandon found himself locking the bedroom door behind him. He turned around to face her, who immediately cried out. "Please! Please don't hurt me! I'll...I'll do anything!"

Watching her cry made his heart ache. "Take those things off," he said softly. He took a step closer and she instinctively took one back. She waved her arms around to stop him from coming any closer. He suddenly grasped her arm and pulled her a few steps towards him.

"Take the stupid scarves and sweater off. You look ridiculous," he said. "I'll stop if you take them off."

She stopped and looked at him curiously. She didn't seem to believe him, but whatever. She'll take any chance she got. She quickly removed her gloves and slightly rubbed her hands together. She unbuttoned the sweater and took it off revealing a yellow shirt underneath. With a sniffle, she slowly removed the scarf from around her face. The woolen cloth fell to the floor as she lifted her head up.

Brandon's eyes widened. She wasn't a girl...she was a young woman. And...and...

She's so beautiful, he thought as his jaw dropped slightly. Her eyes were hazel tinted with a golden honey color. His features were soon marred by a frown when he realized the bruises on her beautiful face. Her forehead had a cut and her cheeks were covered with reddened finger stamps. Radius must've hit her hard. Her eyes...they were beautiful but they looked so vulnerable and broken.

He took a step closer and it was enough for her to go crazy again. "Please don't! Please-!"

Her cries went muffled as he tugged on her arm and pulled her into an embrace. Hugging her was probably not a good idea since it's kind of weird to go around hugging random strangers. But this girl's eyes looked so broken and it made his heart ache. He felt as if she needed a hug right now.

"Please. I'm not going to hurt you. I lied to get you away from him."

She stopped moving and squirming in his arms. He let her go when she calmed down and took a step backwards.

"Sit," he demanded as he pointed towards a chair. She nodded slightly. Brandon looked taken aback when she perched herself on the floor cross-legged. "Um. I meant on the chair," he said in shock. Who was this girl? She instantly stood up and followed his finger. Brandon pulled out another chair and sat in front of her.

"Is Radius hitting you?" he asked getting directly into the point. She looked away unable to answer. He opened his mouth to say something before his phone maniacally went off. Rolling his eyes, he cut the call when he saw the caller ID as none other than Sky. Presumably to ask how the deal went. Brandon set it on mute and set the phone aside.

He turned to her again. "No one here will judge you, okay? I want to help. So I'll ask again. Is that man abusing you?"

She nodded as tears fell from her eyes.

He placed a palm on top of her hand. "What's your name?" he gently asked.

She sniffled. She looked up at him and he was instantly hooked to her face.

"...Stella...My name is Stella."

 _...Stella...that's such a beautiful name_ , he thought as he looked onto her silently. After a minute of thought, he spoke again. "If he's abusing you, why did you work there? Are you that desperate for a job?" he asked with a little edge to his tone.

She nodded.

He looked momentarily taken aback when she quickly replied with a silent nod. It was a rhetorical question. He actually wasn't expecting a reply. Even if he did, he certainly didn't expect a 'yes'. "For how many months have you worked there?"

She took a moment to think. "Um...150."

Brandon's eyes widened. "Excuse me?" he asked incredulously with a raised voice.

Stella quivered at his bellowing voice. She shook slightly in her chair as she jumped a little. Why did she look so frightened?! he thought clearly puzzled at the eccentric behavior. That was a lot of reaction for two words. He took another breath. "What'd you say?" he asked with a low voice disbelieving the large number she uttered earlier.

"I..." she stammered.

Brandon blinked when he saw her lips trembling. Had he really frightened her that much? "Please. Don't be afraid," he said in a gentle voice. "I'm not going to hurt you, Stella. I want to help, okay? I want to help," he repeated. "What did you say earlier?"

"Y-y-you asked how many months I worked there. I worked there for 150 months."

Brandon's eyes widened. _That's...more than twelve years!_ "You worked there for twelve years?!" he asked disbelievingly. She nodded.

He eyed her. She looked so young. She's definitely younger than him, that's for sure. Let's say she's the same age as him anyway. If she's 26 and she worked for 12 years...she couldn't have been more than 14 at that time.

He stood up slowly, processing the information. She, too, stood up as fast as a lightning bolt, startling him for a moment. She looked down at the dark maroon carpetted floor with a small frown. If she was this beautiful while being upset, he can't imagine how she must look like when she really smiled and laughed. But something told him that those were just mere words in a dictionary to her.

This was just too absurd. Yeah, she must be lying. That's all. _Right?_

"Y-y-you asked how many months I worked there. I worked there for 150 months."

He recalled her answer from earlier. What the hell kind of response is that? Instead of calculating and replying with an unreasonably large number, why not just shorten it and say it in terms of years? Why take a moment to ponder and say the actual number of months? He didn't know what to think or say right now. He sighed when he was suddenly interrupted.

"Brandon! Are you inside?!"

The brunette's eyes widened when he heard his mother's voice from outside. Oh hell no. He looked around the room before stopping at one particular view. He quickly grasped Stella's hand and made a run for the bathroom. He pushed her in there and locked the door silently. He rushed to the shower and turned it on. Stella, meanwhile, looked bewildered. She looked around the bathroom which shone with the yellowish lighting. There was a large white tub and a transparent glass shower on the left. The toilet was to the right. A huge silver-lined floor-lengthed mirror hung in front of her. She averted her eyes from the mirror and wrapped her arms around herself. The floor was marble-tiled, each tile reflecting light off the surface.

"Brandon, what are you doing?! Answer the door or I'm coming in!" Heather yelled from outside his room.

Brandon sighed out of relief. He could just pretend to get showered and wait for his mom to leave. His eyes darted towards the blonde. She just stood exactly where he left her. Her crystal hazel eyes seemed so innocent and oblivious to what's happening around her. He took a few steps silently towards her when he heard Heather open his bedroom door. Seriously? _The things I do to get some privacy these days,_ he sourly thought.

"Brandon! Son, is something wrong? Why're you home early?!" Heather asked.

Brandon opened his lips to say something but not before he noticed Stella. She looked as if she's about to sneeze. Was she that dumb or just that naive?! He silently rushed towards her and covered her mouth instantly, a meek squeak escaping from her throat. She turned towards him with wide eyes. He clenched his jaw slightly and silently sent a warning to her to keep quiet. He held her face by the base of her neck and another remained around her mouth.

"Um...I'm fine, mom! I'm free this afternoon, so I came by to get some sleep!" he shouted turning towards the door.

"Oh. Well, alright then. I have a meeting this afternoon, so I'll see you tonight!"

"Yeah, sure," he answered. He sighed when he heard Heather's footsteps slightly fading away. He heard his bedroom door click and shook his head. "This is ridiculous," he muttered to himself.

His attention suddenly flew towards Stella who looked uncomfortably terrified. She shifted from one foot to the other. Oh no. He suddenly released her from his hold and took a few steps back. "Wait here," he motioned.

He headed out the bathroom and quickly locked his bedroom. When he entered again, he saw Stella visibly stiffen in his presence. He gestured for her to follow him from a respectful distance. It seemed as if their proximity frightened her.

He ordered to sit in the chair from earlier. She obeyed him without defiance. He sat opposite her and forced her to look him in the eye.

"Do you want to stay here?" he asked.

Her golden orbs widened. "H-H-H-H-H-Here...?" she asked in a small whisper as she looked around the room frantically. _Well that was a lot of stammering to say one word,_ he thought in amusement. He watched her with an avid fascination as her face showed surprise, shock, and fear all at the same time. He didn't know why but he felt a strange pull to protect this fragile girl.

"I meant...do you want to work here? If you're willing enough to get beaten just for simple work, then work here," he smirked. Her eyes widened again, hooking him instantly. She blinked a few times as she tried to process the information. "..." she mumbled something incoherently.

He sensed fear practically rolling off in waves. She simply stared at him with wide eyes and sat dumbly without saying or moving anything.

"No one is going to hurt you here. And you can stay here as long as you like. Or until you want to find another job," Brandon said gently trying to ease her.

"...No one will hurt me...?" she repeated with disbelief in her eyes. Her shocked eyes hurt his heart for some reason. It seemed as if nice people didn't exist in her world. Brandon shook his head 'no', answering her question. "Okay," she said a moment later. _No one is going to hurt me,_ she mentally repeated to herself.

"Can I go back to the old house?" she suddenly asked. He raised an eyebrow, "Why?"

"Um...can I get my stuff...?" she mumbled looking away. He watched as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Is there anything of value there? Any important ones?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "A photo and a few books..."

He crossed his arms. "Is there any way you can sneak in to get your stuff?"

She nodded.

"How?" he prodded. Does she need an instruction to say a few extra words?!

"I...um...there is a door at the back leading straight to the basement. He never locks the outside of it."

"So? How does that help you get inside the house?"

"But...I live in the basement," she answered as if it's the most obvious thing ever. Brandon's eyes widened. His brown eyes searched her face. She lived in the basement?! Without a lock to it?! No, no, no. She's lying for sure. How can anyone live in an open basement?! And to live there for over twelve years?!

"Uh...just stay here for a few days and we'll go back to get your stuff. Okay?" he told her incoherently. In all his twenty six years, he has never slipped on a sentence...except now. She slowly nodded clearly obscure to his internal thoughts.

He placed a hand in his pocket and took out his cellphone. He dialled a number before holding it up to his ear. "Ms. Faragonda? Can you come to my room for a sec?...yes...yes, thank you. I'll be there in a jiff." He cut the call and sighed a little.

"Follow me," he ordered.

 **~ Shields' Household - 11:04 AM ~**

"I need you to keep an eye on her for a few days," he spoke lowly as he kept his eyes trained on the timid blonde a few away. He turned back to the elderly woman. "Can you?" he asked earnestly.

"Poor girl...No one should have to go through that," Faragonda said as she sympathetically looked at Stella.

"Just make sure that she doesn't get any work involving other people. I don't think she's comfortable around men," Brandon calmly informed. Faragonda nodded. He smiled at her, "Thank you."

He slowly left her side and approached Stella. Her body stiffened when he got close enough to address her. He didn't know whether to feel pity towards her or feel downright insulted. _What did she really go through?_ he thought curiously. But in the pits of his heart, he didn't want to know. He had a feeling that whatever it was, it was horrible enough for her to be terrified of another human being.

"Stella?"

She shakily answered him timidly. "Yes, sir?"

She cast her face slightly down, but he could catch the brim of her eyes. He watched her big, hazel irises with interest. They were a beautiful brown that revolved around her pupils in smoldering golden pools. His eyes travelled around her face. Her lips were a rosy peachish pink that looked delectably soft. There were faint traces of pink on her cheeks. She's gorgeous and possibly the most beautiful female that he has ever laid his eyes on. She was so simple yet so complex at the same time. But...the one thing he hated most was the look of helplessness in her eyes. They looked so lost and so frail that she seemed easily breakable. In fact, her whole body looked as if she's malnourished. And knowing that bastard's temper, he'd say that this girl is lucky enough to be fed once a day.

Unable to say anything, he simply turned to Faragonda who came to his rescue.

He walked past Stella, keeping a good distance between them. But somehow, he had a feeling that that distance wasn't enough for her, considering how a barely audible gasp escaped her lips.

As he walked away, his fingers went to the phone in his pocket. His eyes flared as electricity coursed through him. His lips tightened into a thin line. His heart rate slightly sped up as his strides became larger by each step until he was eventually running across the lot. His dark brown eyes glinted with anger as he ran across the mansion.

 _He has work to do._

* * *

 **So...I've been receiving reviews to update this story. So...I hope you like this chapter.**

 **I'm actually brainstorming on another SxB story. So, hopefully I can jot it down soon xD**

 **Thank you for reading! Please review _(if you can)_ :) See you in the next one!**


	3. Who is She?

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WINX CLUB.**

 **So I've had a few questions about this fic especially regarding Musa's and Brandon's relationship.**

 **Musa & Brandon are siblings, **_**not**_ **cousins. Normally, I would've made Flora as Brandon's sister (as seen in Shattered Heart), but there is a reason for this new arrangement.**

 **I practically made Stella an antisocial girl (I can be stupid like that sometimes -.-). In order to remediate that, I pictured her getting along with Musa better rather than Flora. Plus, the musical fairy cracks me up xD**

 **Another note: There are not many stories with Brandon's perspective. So...this is dedicated to those people who wants to see the world from the brunette's eyes!**

* * *

 **~ Next Day - 6:30 AM ~**

Brandon adjusted his suit in front of his mirror before going out the door. Each day, it was the same old thing. Wake up, shower, get dressed, eat, and start the day. There was no time for slouching and shraggling.

He descended down the stairs while checking his phone for new messages. He wasn't surprised to see at least twenty messages from Sky. Placing the phone back, he found himself searching the inside premises for a flash of blonde hair. Instead, he saw Faragonda setting the table. He quietly spoke as he neared her.

"Ms. Faragonda? Where's Stella? Is she sleeping?" he asked curiously.

"Sleeping? Goodness gracious. She was up before me and slept later than I did. Don't know where she gets that energy from, but I assigned her to the gardens for today."

Brandon nodded. "Thanks. I hope it's no trouble to you that she's living with you at the moment."

Faragonda shook her head. "Oh no, not at all. I get some company."

"I'm glad," Brandon smiled as he took his seat. "Where's Musa?"

"She already ate. I think she went out to take a walk outside," Faragonda replied while serving the young man breakfast.

* * *

 **~ 6:45 AM ~**

A dark midnight haired young woman walked around the premises while breathing the fresh morning air. She hated waking up so early, but she had to admit. Taking a walk during this time felt so refreshing and good.

Musa Shields plugged in her earphones and walked through the cemented pavement briskly. Wisps of her hair clung to her face slightly as she enjoyed the wind slightly blowing across. She sung along to the lyrics with a smile as her favorite song blew through her ears. Musa took a turn around the pavement when she sharply collided with someone.

"What the hell?!" she staggered back a little. The other person let out another 'oof' as she fell to the floor with a hard thud.

Musa came back to her senses when she saw a blonde lying on the floor hurt. "Oh my goodness, are you okay?!" the dark haired girl exclaimed as she bent down to see the girl. By her uniform, she seemed to work here as a maid. But Musa swore that she never saw this girl around here before.

"You okay?" she asked the fallen girl.

The blonde nodded before her eyes opened suddenly wide. "Ma'am, I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going."

Musa looked taken aback by the sudden hysteria. Um...she's the one on the floor and she's apologizing for it?

"No, no, I was distracted. Here, come on. Get up," Musa offered her hand. The girl looked at Musa's hand like it's a foreign object before slowly taking it shakily.

"Sorry about that again," Musa apologized with a smile. The girl simply nodded before brushing off specks of dust from her uniform. "So do you work here?" Musa asked stopping her. The girl nodded.

"Oh. I've never seen you here before though," Musa pointed out with a raised eyebrow.

"I...started to work from yesterday only, ma'am," the blonde replied. Musa wondered if she was going deaf from the loud music in her ears or if something's wrong with the voice levels of this girl.

"Oh. What's your name?"

"Um. Stella, ma'am," she said meekly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Stella," Musa smiled as she walked past the blonde. _Good grief,_ she thought in confusion.

* * *

 **~ 7:30 AM ~**

Brandon sat in ones of the sofas in the living room, quietly relaxing while sipping his coffee and reading the morning newspaper. He looked up when his sister waltzed through the doors looking completely out of reality with those stupid earphones in her ears.

"You do realize I can hear what song you're listening to, right?" he smirked. Musa turned to him with a grin, "You're still here? No work today?"

Brandon rolled his eyes, "As hard it is for you to believe, I do have a holiday once in a while."

"Says the guy still wearing a suit," Musa rolled her eyes as she approached him and sat down opposite him in a flop. "I don't want mom to eat my head off this morning. But you, on the other hand, have somewhere you need to be.

"...I swear you and mom just get bossier with each effing day," Musa stood up and stormed towards the stairs to her room while Brandon simply chuckled.

He continued reading the paper while ignoring a few main articles and skipping straight to the business area. _Really funny seeing myself in the newspaper,_ he rolled his eyes as he eyed an article that had young businessmen, where he's one of them.

 _Brandon Shields, one of the busiest entrepreneurs in today's market, has been spotted with a redhead..._

And that's all it took for him to toss the paper aside in annoyance. These newspapers were worse than tabloids. He stood up and placed his hands in the pockets. He cruised upstairs smoothly feeling a little angry. "Doesn't media have anything better to do than sprew nonsense?" he cursed. What's the point of studying journalism if they focus on trivial things and ignore blatant wrongdoings somewhere else?

He shook his head and went to his room silently. Upon reaching it, he slammed the door shut. He took off his coat and tossed it on his aside. He stretched slightly, plastering his crisp white shirt against his strong abdomen. He walked over to the window and glumly stared outside with a small frown playing on his lips. Honestly, he didn't even understand why he was feeling off right now.

Maybe it's just work or the occasional absurd and _ludicrous_ news articles or even...

His eyes suddenly grew alert when he saw a dash of a very familiar yellow down below. _Stella,_ he quickly recognized. His eyes overlooked the gardens down below and silently peered at the highly attractive blonde. _Not that she noticed herself that way._

She was facing his way much to his pleasure. However, her face was emotionless although she seemed diligent in whatever she was doing. His eyes ran down her figure. She donned the maid's uniform commonly given to all the female workers in this household. Her hair was in a low ponytail although a few strands escaped.

His dark brows furrowed as he noted her appearance. From a distance, she was beautiful. But as beautiful as she was...he didn't like the outfit she wore. It seemed so out of place on her although she didn't even seem to care about such miniscule things.

 _Who are you, Stella?_ His lips pursed.

She attracted his attention again when she started to sneeze. She rubbed her arms up and down as he noticed her slightly shivering. He suddenly felt the urge to take her in his arms and embrace her with all his might.

 _What?!_ he turned around sharply. _What the hell?_

What did he just muse about? How could he even fathom to think of such an improbable thing? He ran his fingers through his hair, dishevelling it slightly. Taking a few steps away from the window and away from _her,_ he tried to shrug off the thoughts. That was stupid. He's an affluent businessman with a well-established career and life. She's just a poor and illiterate maid. Yeah, that's it. He wasn't even supposed to look at her for longer than a spare glance, but he had just taken a few minutes to imbibe in her beauty.

His phone suddenly rang. "Oh thank God," he mumbled as he fished the device out of his pocket.

"Yeah, Sky?" he answered.

"Brandon, we have a problem. You need to get your ass down here like RIGHT NOW," Sky warned.

Brandon nodded. "Give me five minutes."

He grabbed his jacket and his stuff before dashing out the door. He descended down the stairs and soon, he was out the door. Involuntarily, he found his eyes searching for Stella in the distance. He walked slowly towards his car as his eyes scoured the premises for that familiar dash of blonde.

He was surprised at the level of his disappointment when he didn't see her. To his dismay, he opened the car's door and got in. After a sigh and another glance around, he sped off.

* * *

 **~ Lakes Conglomerates - 8:00 AM ~**

Brandon turned on his desktop as he sat down in his chair. A series of repeated and urgent knocks interrupted him. "Come in," he said knowing who it is.

"Holy! What the hell took you so long?!" Sky barged in carrying a few stacks of papers. The blonde haired man placed the mounds of papers on Brandon's desk harshly.

Brandon raised an eyebrow. "What the hell made you call me here after you told me I can give myself a holiday?"

"Peep this. Remember Radius Solaria?"

The brunette rolled his eyes. How could he not remember? He practically fake kidnapped that moron's maid just yesterday. "Dude, it was just yesterday. Of course, I remember."

"Right. Uh anyways...that land does _not_ belong to that man."

Brandon's eyes widened at the new information. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah. We kind of got new intel that Radius does not own that land. Officially, anyway."

The brunette stood up angrily. "What the hell, Sky?! So I just lost sixty thousand for a total stranger yesterday?!" He slammed his fists on the desk as his eyes blazed.

"Calm down. It belongs to his late wife, Luna Solaria."

Brandon crossed his arms. "So doesn't that technically mean that Radius owns it now?"

Sky shook his head. "No. The couple had a daughter. Luna apparently wrote in her will that once her daughter turns into a major, the entire plot will go over to her."

Brandon breathed exasperatedly. For real? "Okay, where is the daughter now?"

"We..uh...we don't know. I asked Nabu to help me out. He searched every database for any reports of that girl," Sky answered with a sigh. Nabu Waters is a respected police officer at NYPD as well as a good friend of Sky and Brandon.

"And...? Where is she now?"

"Don't know. Well, the only record Nabu found of her was a picture that's at least a decade old. She's twenty three years old now."

Brandon's jaw clenched. "Keep looking for her. If you can't find her, then look for another plot that we can use. I'm heading out for a hot sec." The brunette pushed past Sky a little angrily when the latter stopped the former.

"Where are you going?" Sky asked.

"I'm going to teach that bastard a lesson he'll never forget," Brandon seethed as he headed out the door. _No one double crosses me,_ the brunette slammed the door shut on his way out leaving Sky to sigh.

* * *

 **~ 8:50 AM ~**

"So this is his house?"

Brandon nodded at his long-time friend with a sigh. He and Nabu sat in the former's car while they both scrutinized the house from across the street.

"Dude, we can't just go and arrest him," Nabu explained.

Brandon's eyes flared. "Why not? I'm sorry, but he sold us a property that doesn't even belong to him."

"I'm presuming his daughter is a runaway or something because there are literally _no_ records of her in the database. Not even a single sighting."

"What about the schools she went to?"

Nabu sighed. "When her mother died, she dropped out. She abruptly quit. But the funny thing was...when she quit, she was only eleven years old at that time."

"How the hell is that called dropping out? She was only a child at that point. I bet this bastard did something to her."

"You don't know that. And technically, we don't have a warrant whatsoever. If Radius's daughter doesn't come and claim that property _officially_ , it's still his."

Brandon raised an eyebrow. "Dude, what the hell? Didn't the wife sign it over to her daughter in her will?"

"She did. But...her daughter never came and claimed it. Even then, unless we find that girl, I can't arrest him without concrete evidence."

The brunette sighed. "So what to do now?"

"I'll get my men to scour for her, alright? Don't worry. We'll find her."

"I don't understand why we can't go and ask Radius what the hell he did to his own daughter," Brandon slammed his fists on the wheel angrily.

"Don't you think we already tried that? According to him, he said he didn't have a daughter," Nabu sighed in exasperation.

Brandon pursed his lips slightly as he continued glaring at the house. He was tempted to tell Nabu about Stella. The mere fact that Radius physically assaulted his maid is more than enough to get his ass thrown in jail. But...something held him back. Brandon didn't know why, but he felt apprehensive just thinking about her. He felt inundated to protect her and to keep her safe.

Brandon dropped Nabu off at the station before heading back home. He informed Sky to keep in touch with Nabu. He drove absentmindedly while his thoughts restively remained on a certain blonde.

Maybe after getting her to trust him...he can slowly try to help her. Right now, he's pretty sure that she still thinks that he's lusting after her.

 _Which is not completely false,_ he grudgingly admitted to himself in disgust. He found her attractive. _Too attractive for her own good._ There were no doubt about that. She was beautiful. But...is it really lust if he wished to see her smile? How is it lust if he found her attractive?

In a short while, he found himself entering the driveway to his house, also known as mansion in the eyes of a common man. He turned off the ignition and got out of the car. Locking it, he made his way towards the front door only to suddenly stop.

Unable to help himself, his eyes automatically flickered around the premises as he struggled to catch at least a fleeting glimpse of her. Abandoning his steps towards the house, he slowly walked towards the gardens. Faragonda said that she assigned Stella to a lone part of the property.

He walked cautiously and noiselessly with each step that he took. _Just in case._

His eyes lit up when he saw suddenly Faragonda rushing towards the house. He sprinted towards her.

"Oh. Brandon, are you hungry again?" Faragonda teased when the young man stopped her suddenly.

"No," he chuckled. "Where is Stella? Is she okay?"

The elderly woman thought for a moment. "I think I saw her near the fountain a while ago."

Brandon nodded and thanked her. He moved to go when she suddenly stopped him.

"Listen. You told me that she's been physically abused, right?"

Brandon slowly nodded. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Well...no offense to her or anything, but she's literally a robot. She barely says a word to anyone which is why I told her to tend to the flowers."

He sighed. "I'm sorry. I know it must be an inconvenience to you. I'll find a way soon."

"What do you mean? Doesn't anyone know that she's here?"

A solemn look from Brandon was enough to give the answer Faragonda needed. "What in the world? You do realize that your mother won't be as accommodating as you are, right?" the older woman scolded him in a mannerly fashion.

Brandon raised his hands up in surrender. "Okay, what did you expect me to say?" he asked peeved. "Hey, mom! Guess what? This is Stella, the girl I smuggled out of an abusive moron's house," he mocked.

"Fine, but I bet your mother will be pissed off when she finds out there is someone she hasn't hired roaming around the house," Faragonda chuckled. "Well I gotta get to work. I'll see you later."

Brandon nodded. He smiled as she left. Despite Faragonda being one of the...workers, she was much more than that for Brandon. She was no maid to him. She's been around since he was a kid and he doted on her like a second mother.

When she left, the smile dropped from his lips. He didn't have to tell his straightlaced mother. Afterall, he had just as much of a right to this house as she did. With a heavy sigh, he started towards the fountains ornated decoratively in middle of the gardens ahead.

His boots stepped softly against the neatly-cut, trimmed grass as he slowly took each stride. He needed a good stroll at the moment. His mind felt as if it's been fried. Maybe a day off from work would help cease his worries.

With each step he took, a feeling of dread and apprehensiveness grew in his heart. _What's wrong with me?_ he frowned as he neared the place. Is it because of his stressful day or because of...Stella? It's almost as if he's afraid to approach her right now. Lest he scared her away.

He headed straight for the stone ornate fountains only to stop suddenly when he saw a dash of blonde ahead of him. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Stella resting against the fountains silently. She was on the floor while her back rested against the structure. He leaned against a tree and observed her silently. She semed oblivious to the man quietly staring at her from a distance.

Stella held black high heels, which were a part of her new uniform, with one hand while her hand rubbed her sore feet. A moment later, she adjusted her socks and placed the heels back on her feet.

He watched her stand up slowly. She moaned in pain as she stood up. He realized her source of pain when she walked slowly while glancing at her feet. It must be the heels...

 _Why? Don't women normally wear heels?_ he thought in mild confusion. Or maybe she's just not used to them? He shook his head wondering what to do with her.

"Why is this girl not acting like she's from this century?" he said to himself a little frustrated. His eyes suddenly widened at what he just said. He stared at her in shock when a realization started to dawn on his eyes.

 _"I worked in the house for 150 months."_

 _Could it be...?_ His feet planted themselves into the ground as he refused to entertain that possibility. His eyes trailed over her form as she slowly moved about trying to adjust her feet into the new footwear.

He whipped out his cellphone. A few rings later, the person on the other line picked up. "Nabu? What is Radius's daughter's name?" Brandon asked with urgency in his tone.

"Uh...hold up. Give me a sec," Nabu answered from the other end.

Brandon tapped his foot impatiently waiting for Nabu's answer. _Oh c'mon, man. How could you forget it that fast?!_ He silently cursed his friend.

"Nabu?"

"Yeah, man. Still here. Here it is. It's Stella. Stella Solaria."

Brandon's jaw dropped in astonishment as his phone nearly fell out of his hold. _No..._ he refused to believe.

So that means...this girl in front of him is no maid like he had initially thought. She's...she's Radius's daughter.

 _150 months..._

That's twelve and a half years.

 _"When she quit, she was only eleven years old at that time."_

 _"Not even a single sighting..."_

 _"A photo that's a decade old..."_

Brandon's eyes only dilated further as realization sunk into his brain. There was no sighting because... _she never stepped foot outside of the house._

 _Oh my God..._ his eyes watched her with an overwhelming disbelief as his jaw fell to the floor for the hundredth time in the last ten seconds.

* * *

 **Achoooooooooooo! Yup, that's me sneezing. I think 2018 has a grudge against me because I've been running around with a snotty nose for the last 2-3 days. Gosh.**

 **Anyways, I** _ **hope**_ **you enjoyed xO In case you didn't...well...um...eh...I blame the cold?**

 **Thank you for reading either way :)**


	4. Matchmaking

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WINX CLUB.**

 **So...I'm not really sure if anyone wants to read this story anymore. I can't believe it's been** _ **SIX**_ **months since I updated it. I was shocked to see the last time I updated this thing. It felt like yesterday since I updated it.**

 **So hopefully...you guys enjoy it.**

 **Please let me know if anyone is still interested in reading it.**

 **Thank you.**

* * *

 _ **A day or two later...**_

 **~ New York Police Headquarters - 11:30 AM ~**

Brandon Shields watched with a frown when Stella Solaria emerged from the room _finally_ after an interrogation of nearly three hours. Even though her face was tear-stricken and appeared emotionally drained, she was still simply beautiful. His jaw clenched slightly when more tears erupted in her pools of vulnerable golden eyes as she neared him shakily.

"Are you okay?" he asked gently.

She wiped the tears with the fabric of her plain blue full-sleeved shirt. She choked on another sob, a miserable attempt to hide the tears from his eyes. His heart broke for her as he frowned.

"Stella, everyone is gonna be alright," he assured her taking a hesitant step towards her.

"...yes, sir..." she replied while looking down at her toes. Tears flowed freely down her face although she tried her best to stop the never-ending streams. Her face construed of years worth of humiliation and bitter pain. She must have bottled up everything till date and now that she choked out everything, her tears were nonstop.

Her eyes held volumes of sadness that he couldn't help but want to just _somehow_ make her feel okay. And he did just that. He took another step forward and wrapped his arms tenderly around her. His heart hurt at the way she immediately sucked in a gasp and stiffened in his hold. He spoke gently while patting her back. "He's never going to hurt you again," he soothed her soft cries.

He pulled away moments later after she seemed to calm down for the time being.

"...can I ask you something?" she sniffled while looking at her toes. She wiped the tears away from her face with her sleeve yet again.

He nodded with an 'mhm'. He longed to see those beautiful eyes again, but she seemed so shaken and vulnerable as she continously gazed at the reflective tile surface.

"...why are you helping me?" she asked in a small voice.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked gently with a small smile, hoping against hope that she'll look up. To his disappointment, she never raised her head.

"...I don't have anything to g-give you, sir..." she whispered as she unconsciously cowered away from him and hugged herself. Brandon's eyes widened. _Excuse me?_ Did she really think that he's doing this for something in return? He frowned, clearly offended by her implications. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted.

Nabu Waters emerged out of the interrogation room carrying a stack of documents. He donned a black uniform with a gun in its holster on the side, which is a classic dress code for every field officer in the police department. "Brandon," the dark-haired man nodded warily towards his friend.

The brunette got the hint. He stepped away from the blonde and approached Nabu. "What's the status update?" Brandon asked.

Nabu sighed. "It's bad. _Like really bad._ Radius will definitely be going to jail for a _long_ time based on Stella's statements. The chief has sent a few of the guys to get him," he said angrily. Abuse is a horrible, horrible thing. No one should have to go through that for _any_ reason.

"Oh and a lady officer and a doctor checked her and they both reported that Stella has been suffering physical abuse for years now," he finished.

Brandon's eyes widened. _So I was right._ "Why do I sense a 'but' here?"

"It's just...if and _when_ Radius is prosecuted for his crime, Stella will be mostly be temporarily admitted to an institution for the psychologically unfit," Nabu informed.

"WHAT?!" Brandon yelled abruptly, causing other policemen to sharply look at him. He mouthed an apology to them before hushing his voice down.

Nabu sighed. "You have to understand. All those years and Stella never stepped out of the house. For crying out loud, the last picture we have of her is dated to over a decade ago. She has been abused for twelve years," he finished empathetically for the blonde's pitiful plight.

Brandon frowned as they both glanced at her from a distance. She was seated in a chair with a lady officer beside her. She looked afraid and clueless as if she had no idea what to do. "When people experience traumatic something like that for _years_ ," Nabu started again. "...they're bound to go crazy."

"Why? I mean, she doesn't look scary. It's not like she'll go around shooting people," Brandon rolled his eyes.

"The point is...she doesn't have a guardian. Her mother died a long time ago," Nabu said pointedly.

Brandon sighed, thinking of what to do. Just then, the silently busy atmosphere was interrupted by a series of curses inappropriate for human ears. "YOU _BITCH!"_

Brandon's eyes widened when he saw Radius thrashing in the arms of two restraining police officers. Nabu brought up his walkie-talkie and turned the little device on. "I need more men in the hall! NOW!" he yelled while running forward to help.

A madman going loose is not a good sign. Especially when there are so many innocent victims in here. Each and every one looked up in a curious fear as they all witnessed what was going on. The two policemen tried their best to restrain the accused but Radius is quite agile for his pot-bellied personality.

Stella gasped and stood up straight immediately when she saw daggers being glared at her. When Radius saw her, he immediately punched an officer in the gut and moved towards the blonde. He slapped the lady officer, who was guarding Stella, out of the way before packing a fist.

Stella screamed in fright and shielded her face when she saw a punch being directly hurled at her. She turned around and started to run, her heartbeat quickening as the she heard thunderous footsteps following her.

Brandon's breath caught in his throat as his feet, too, moved to help at the speed of lightning. His pace slowed slightly when he saw police officers swarming in with shields and weapons from all sides. _That's a relief,_ he thought. He sucked in a breath when he felt her petite figure collide directly into his chest. "Please help!" she cried. "Please, please, please!" she wailed helplessly while he appeared frozen for a moment.

"I'll do anything! Please don't let me go back!" she cried while hugging him tightly for dear life. Brandon snapped out of his shocked trance while his eyes glowed feral. He saw Radius approaching both of them and got ready. But before the elderly man could do anything, he was instantly restrained when three officers jumped on top of him, sending them all tumbling to the floor.

"Enough!" Nabu yelled while cuffing Stella's so-called father.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can and will be used against you in court," another officer coldly spoke out the infamous Miranda rights to the criminal.

Brandon watched the exchange with merciless eyes. Radius looked up and glared daggers at both of them. " _You tricked me!"_ Radius shrieked in a deep voice.

The brunette smirked victoriously. "How does it feel to get a load of your own medicine?" Brandon snapped.

It wasn't long before Radius was dragged away to confinement.

Stella's incessant crying brought Brandon's attention back to her again. He forgot about her while watching the scene before him. She was shaking violently with fright that his brown eyes turned to those of concern. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Stella?" he whispered softly into her ear.

She froze instantly at the sound of his voice and stopped crying. She suddenly gasped as her eyes widened in horror. She squeaked as she stepped back, shocked at what she had just done. She looked up at Brandon who watched her questioningly. "I'm...I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to," she gulped.

He shook his head. "It's fine," he smiled assuringly as he took a step forward. "I need you to stop crying and I need you to listen to me," he said softly. "Can you do that?"

She nodded slowly while wiping her tears off with the sleeve of her shirt.

"Do you have any relatives that you trust?" he asked, hoping that she'll say no. Okay, that was a really mean thing to say but somewhere in the depth of his heart, he just wanted her to say no. That way, she'll have no choice but to stick with him for the time-being. He didn't know why but he wanted her to be by his side. He wanted to make sure that no one hurts her ever again.

She slowly shook her head 'no'. He was surprised at his urge to break out in happiness.

"Listen, when they put your dad away, they'll be sending you to a mental institution until they feel that you're okay," he explained.

Her eyes widened. "M-Mental...?" she asked in confusion.

He nodded. "Unless you have someone to vouch for you, they'll send you there," he said.

"...oh," she said dejectedly. Her eyes started to water again and his heart broke for her. _What did she ever do to deserve this?_ he thought was just a young and innocent child when her mother passed away. Unfortunately, Luna Solaria's death was also the birth of her daughter's decade worth of torment.

Stella froze immediately when he held her by the chin. "Can _I_ vouch for you?" he asked gently. Her light amber eyes widened again as she gaped at him. He found himself drowning the depths of her golden pools. _Again._ Her eyes are _definitely_ her best feature. Actually...he never saw her smile. But he was pretty sure that her smile will surpass all of his expectations of a gorgeous girl.

"...You'll do that...?" she asked innocently.

He nodded. "If it's okay with you, then you're more than welcome to stay at my house. I promise that no one will ever hurt you there."

 _Oh._ She blinked. "No one...?" she repeated more to herself than to anyone. He frowned at how disbelieving she appeared. It seemed as if the domestic abuse had been a part of her life for so long that she relatively forgot what it feels like to actually _live._ She was so shell shocked that the world, _for once,_ can actually be a nice place.

"No one," he assured. "You'll be safe with me, Stella."

 _I'll make sure of it,_ he thought vehemently.

* * *

 _ **A few hours later...**_

 **~ Shields' Household - 4:20 PM ~**

After finishing many more formalities and other paperwork, Nabu gave the signal that they're both free to go for the moment. Brandon pulled the car up the driveway and parked it. He gestured the nervous blonde in the passenger seat to get out and did the same. Closing the doors, he locked the car.

"BRANDON!" a screech cried from the house and the brunette sighed in retaliation.

 _Here we go. Right on time,_ he rolled his eyes. Heather Shields emerged from the house and started to run towards him in the most 'proper' way possible. The older woman eyed the new girl with distaste and disgust. "WHO IS SHE?!" she pointed towards Stella who started to quiver at the sight of the angry lady. "DID YOU REALLY HIDE THIS GIRL IN _**MY**_ HOUSE WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR PERMISSION?!" Heather yelled angrily, not realizing that she's scaring the daylights out of Stella.

Brandon kept his eyes on Stella. The poor girl was just done given statements of abuse to the police and she is clearly not in a state to take yelling so well.

"Mom, stop," Brandon said firmly coming over to Stella's side and pushing her behind him.

"WHY SHOULD I!? You hid her inside my home! Did you really think that I wouldn't find out?!" Heather screamed in anger.

"No, I knew you'd find out," he informed calmly. " _But_ , I'm twenty-six, mom. I don't need you breathing down my neck every other second."

She gasped. "As long as you live in my house, you _will_ follow my rules."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Then I'm more than capable to find my own place, you know. Provoke me enough and I'll definitely have no problem in moving out. I don't need your permission for _anything._ "

Heather gasped. "YOU!" she accusingly pointed at Stella, who was busy hiding herself. "You ruined him, didn't you?! Are you two dating?! Because I swear-"

"MOM!" Brandon yelled. "What the hell?!" He turned around for a swift second. "Go inside," he smiled softly down at her. She looked afraid to budge but he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Go," he repeated, adding a little authority in his voice. He turned around and watched Stella slowly scurry away.

"Was that necessary?" he snapped, crossing his arms.

"YES! Brandon, you're one of the most eligible bachelors! How can you get married when you're seen with a girl like... _her?"_ Heather shuddered in disgust while pointing towards the direction Stella just escaped to.

" _Eligible bachelor?_ Mom, I'm not getting married any time soon. Even if I am, it'll be with the girl that I love."

"Do you love that blonde gold-digging twit?" Heather snapped.

Brandon's jaw clenched as his hands formed into fists. "That blonde has a fucking name. It's Stella," he snapped.

"I don't care. She's a gold-digging slut," Heather snapped.

"...Thirty years ago, you were a waitress and dad was a successful entrepreneur. And you married him. So...what does that make _you_?" he hissed in a heated whisper. With that, he turned and left, leaving his mom with her mouth hanging open.

He shook his head in frustration as he walked away. He loved his mom, _he really did,_ but sometimes, she tends to send moral values flying over her head. "Dammit!" he cursed in sheer frustration while moving towards the gardens, the direction Stella seemingly went off to.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile...**_

Stella sat cross-legged beside the stone ornate fountain in the gardens. Tears brimmed her eyes. She didn't know what to do.

Her so-called _father_ ruined her life and took away her future. She brought her knees upto her chest and sadly remembered the times she went to school. _School..._ It was a distant memory, but she envisioned it perfectly. Crimson red brick walls, a flag, parents dropping their kids off, the bell signalling that students should get to school...

 _Everything was lost._

Her mom died unexpectedly and left her only daughter alone in this cruel world. She was forced to live with her father, whom she has never addressed since moving into that house.

She never called him 'dad'. The first time she did that, he had thrashed her to death. Radius became a cold, vicious, savage beast as soon as the authorities handed him his motherless daughter.

"Stella?" a voice interrupted her self-pity.

Stella gasped as she looked up and instantly scrambled to stand on her two feet.

"Woah! Girl, you can sit," Musa rolled her eyes as she pushed the blonde back down. Stella blinked when Musa joined beside her on the hard and cemented tiles.

"Miss, I'll get you a chair. Please wait-" Stella moved to stand up again but Musa grabbed her wrist.

"I'm fine. Please. I just wanted to talk," Musa shrugged.

Stella looked her in confusion, but obeyed the order nonetheless. She heard the daughter of his household take a huge breath.

"I suddenly understood why I felt like I never saw you here before," Musa said suddenly while glancing at the timid blonde.

Stella looked away, not really knowing what she's doing here. She had no place here. She was a girl who's probably had her education till middle school and left without a penny in this world. She felt like intruding and she felt like a burden. All her life, she had to listen to scary and merciless threats and expletives.

Not a day passed by where she was told she's worthless than the word 'worthless'. _Even..._ Stella took in a shuddering breath to keep the tears at bay... _I couldn't even get a glass of water without getting slapped._

She jerked slightly when Musa placed a hand on her shoulder. "I just...I wanted to see how someone could be so strong to endure what you went through," she said.

Stella's eyes widened. _She knows?_ she thought.

"My brother told me. I know it's not his secret, but I wanted to see if I can help. I never saw him so disturbed and nervous," she sighed. "I wasn't judging you," Musa added quickly, noting the bewildered look on her face.

"No, no, I wasn't thinking that, ma'am," Stella stammered.

"Call me Musa. We're the same age and you can save the formalities for my mom," Musa rolled her eyes at her mom's 'proper behavior' antics.

"Oh."

"But seriously... _how_ did you go through all of that?"

* * *

 _ **At the same time...**_

Brandon raised a curious eyebrow when he saw his sister, Musa, and Stella having some conversation that was inaudible to him. He took a few steps closer but stopped when he was in an audible distance.

 _"How_ did you go through all of that?"Musa asked incredulously.

Stella looked at her lap. She was oblivious to the curious brown eyes which were busy staring at her, waiting expectantly for her answer.

Musa was right...why didn't the blonde attempt to run away? Did she really think that the world is a scarier place than the hellhole she's been living in?

"Why didn't she tell anyone?"he whispered to himself in confusion. Surely, he couldn't be the first visitor who noticed her. _Or...am I?_ he frowned _._

"Hope...I have hope," Stella answered in a small voice. "I hoped that each day would be better."

Brandon's eyes softened immensely. What can someone possibly say to that? _Hope._ Even after suffering hell and getting beaten every single day, her hope didn't waver. She didn't lose faith. _How could she not?_ he asked himself, astounded by her reason.

Musa said something to comfort her, but he couldn't hear her. Instead, his eyes were completely transfixed onto the blonde. A small smile etched into his lips and it grew wider when he saw her speaking with his sister. Beautiful is such an understatement to describe her. Her eyes held so much mystery that he felt the urge to unravel the depth behind them. Her lips appeared to be a little blush pink. Her fair face was free, clean, and fresh of any makeup. _She must've never used it,_ he told himself. He liked that she was so simple. Of course, she didn't have a choice. But nonetheless, he liked it.

Smiling once more, he turned around to leave them be. _Maybe I can get to know her and get her to trust me,_ he thought, feeling a little overly enthusiastic about the prospect.

* * *

 _ **Two weeks later...**_

Stella's trial was processed quickly. She, however, requested Brandon that she can't testify in front of the judge and so many people. They took her testimony in a recorded tape and it was more than enough. Stella's scars were more than proof enough to say that she went through a lot. Although some disappeared, some never healed and turned into tissue damage due to the extent of abuse. Her present and previous injuries were confirmed by doctors as well as the female district attorney who chose to viciously defend Stella.

Brandon gave his testimony, stating every action that has happened since the deal. He also gave his word and signed the papers regarding Stella. He officially became her guardian and proved that he was more than able to keep her financially well. He had no priors, not even a speeding ticket.

Radius was stripped of parental rights. In addition, the charges for punching an officer on-duty didn't go unnoticed. His violent and aggressive nature was analyzed carefully and he was immediately sentenced to thirty years of imprisonment with no chance of parole.

* * *

 _ **Present...**_

 **~ Shields' Household - 6:45 PM ~**

Brandon Shields adjusted his slick black tie as he stepped down the stairs coolly while looking at his watch. A few maids, regardless of age, swooned in delight while others chose to painfully ignore, knowing that they'll never match up to the gorgeous hunk. _Especially not with Heather Shields sticking around._

"Morning, Ms. Faragonda," the brunette smiled at the elderly woman.

"Good morning," she grinned in return. "Breakfast is ready," she said, nodding towards the table.

His eyes unconsciously lit up as he moved towards the table to join his father. He sat in his usual seat and greeted his dad.

"Good morning, son," Lucas grinned with pride at the sight of his son. "Anything new in the works for today?"

The brunette nodded his head with a little extra enthusiam. "I'm hoping to close the Williams contract by tomorrow. Their terms and conditions were negotiable. And they seem pretty friendly. Dad, I think we can consider them for a merge."

"If you're so sure and confident, I trust you completely," Lucas beamed. Honestly, there was no limit to the affection he held for his son. The latter worked with a series of unbending work ethics, discipline, and punctuality that made him one of the most ideal icons in the industry.

Brandon nodded. "There's no harm to us. I've asked Nabu to run background checks on all of them. They all have no priors. All of them have rock solid alibis," he confirmed. Lucas gave a thumbs up.

"Dr. Shields, what would you like for breakfast?"

Brandon's breath hitched slightly when he turned to see the one person he hoped to see every morning. Stella stood in front of him, carrying a large tray filled with food. She donned the standard uniform like every other female in here although Brandon hated the outfit on her to no end. He sighed for the umpteeth time when he realized that her eyes were on her toes.

He silently hoped and pleaded for her to look at _him_ instead just as he did for the last two weeks. "Thank you," he said quietly, feeling disappointed.

She calmly and silently served each of them to their liking without uttering a single word. When she was done, she simply turned on her heel and started walking back to the kitchen. He watched her hair bounce left and right to her movements. Sighing, he turned to his food wondering why in the world he found a maid attractive. He can honestly do _so_ much better. He literally had a queue of girls waiting to snatch him up and here he is hoping that a maid would at least notice him.

He sighed as he quickly ate. _This is going to be a long morning,_ he chided himself just as he had been doing for two weeks now. Ever since his mother found out about the blonde, Heather assigned her to kitchen duty with such distaste, but also because it's easier to keep an eye on the girl that way.

Heather always kept a watchful eye on Stella, especially during the first few days. But after a few days later, she noticed that the blonde seldom talks and barely looks at anyone. And here she thought that Stella would try something frisky.

 _Yeah right,_ he scoffed. He wondered if she even knew his name or at least _his face._ She never looked anywhere else. Her eyes would appear emotionless and blank with no feeling visible whatsoever.

 _Maybe she just needs time to adjust?_ he offered himself pathetically as he ate.

 _She's broken,_ his subconscious answered for him, leaving him to glare at himself.

"Something wrong, son?" Lucas asked in concern, noting the random angry face that just sprouted out of nowhere on his son's face.

Brandon's eyes widened when he realized that his emotions were wide open on his face. "No, no, dad. I'm fine," he smiled reassuringly.

 _Ugh._

* * *

 **~ Shields Conglomerates - 8:00 AM ~**

"Come in," Brandon said absentmindedly as he loosened his tie a little while eyeing the docket in front of him. The sleeves of his crisp white dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows. He had long before removed his jacket and placed it behind the chair.

He looked up to see Sky entering while carrying a huge set of documents. Brandon groaned and tossed his head back. "What the hell are those?" he muttered in annoyance.

"Real estate docs. _Duh,"_ Sky smirked.

"Dude, did you just say 'duh'?" Brandon raised an eyebrow. "Anyways, just put them aside. I'll deal with them later."

"Nah, you're gonna deal with them right now," Sky said as he shoved the stack of papers into the brunette's desk.

Brandon groaned. "Fine. What are they though?" he asked while taking the binder and fillping through each paper.

"You know that land that Radius illegally sold to us? Well, we can legally claim it," Sky grinned.

Brandon raised an eyebrow. "How?"

"Well, now that his daughter is found, you can easily get her signature on this thing. She just needs to sign it and we can immediately give out the contract to begin the construction."

Brandon's eyes widened as he read each paper. All it required was Stella's signatures and they'll be good to go. He smiled in relief. Phew. Now they don't have to worry about looking for a land somewhere else. "I'll get 'em signed today," he confirmed.

Sky winked and snapped his fingers at him before turning to leave. He suddenly stopped remembering something and looked at his best friend with a wolfish grin. "Ooooh so who's the lucky girl?" he said suddenly.

Brandon raised an eyebrow. "Who?" he asked cluelessly. Sighing, he slapped his forehead. "Did you read the tabloids again?" he asked while rolling his eyes.

Sky appeared confused as well. "What? Wait...you didn't know?" he asked while approaching Brandon again. He sat in the chair in front of his best friend.

"Didn't know what?" Brandon asked in boredom.

"You're having guests over. You know...like an alliance..." Sky trailed off.

Brandon's eyes widened. "WHAT?!" he yelled.

 _Heather._ Sky shook his head at her antics. Brandon's brown orbs glowered dangerously as he stood up and grabbed his jacket. He pressed the intercom button.

"Yes, Dr. Shields?" a female voice answered.

"Cancel all my appointments for today. Forward my calls to my father," he ordered in a cold, hard voice.

"Yes, sir," the receptionist answered right away.

"I'm heading home," he informed Sky, who nodded. "How'd you know about it though?"

"Musa told Riven. Riven told me," Sky shrugged. Riven is Musa's boyfriend.

Brandon nodded while rolling down his sleeves and putting on his jacket. He adjusted his suit and shut down the computer. He grabbed his keys and bag and headed out with Sky hotly in tow.

"Dude, don't do anything rash!" Sky whispered furiously at Brandon's temper.

"Rash? Tell that to my mom who thinks it's okay to play matchmaker without my damn permission!" he snapped angrily.

"I know, but she's still your mom. You don't wanna piss her off," Sky informed.

Brandon rolled his eyes. "Believe me, I do. I _really_ do."

* * *

 **~ Shields' Household - 9:30 AM ~**

Brandon's eyes only glared angrily when he pulled into the driveway. He saw two cars that definitely didn't belong to his family. He parked his car and stepped out immediately. He slammed the door shut with a furious huff.

He sprinted through the lawn. He stopped when he saw Faragonda walking towards the house as well.

"Ms. Faragonda!" he whispered while motioning her to come over noiselessly.

Faragonda's eyes widened as she immediately walked over to him. "Brandon?! What are you doing here?"

"No, what the hell is my mom doing?!" he whispered when he heard voices and laughter coming from the living room.

"Well, from what I gather, it's definitely a loaded family. She's an only daughter and your mom thinks that girl is your perfect match."

"WHAT?" he asked in distaste. To say that he _detested_ girls from wealthy families is such an understatement. All the girls he heard of or acquainted himself with so far have been nothing but snobs or just fake blondes desperate for his attention.

"Alright, thanks," Brandon said dismissively. Faragonda nodded and went about on her way. He went inside the house and closed the door behind him. _"MOM!"_ he hissed under his breath before strolling over to the living room.

As he went inside, he saw a family indeed. Three people sat together on the couch; a young woman sat between two older people, presumably her parents. Heather sat on the couch opposite them. Brandon resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the fake display of 'affection'. Fake laughs and fake smiles everywhere...

 _Ugh,_ he groaned.

"OH! Brandon, my darling son, you're finally here!" Heather looked up and beamed brightly while standing up elegantly. She walked over to him and kissed his cheek, causing Brandon to gag in annoyance at the outright display of overaction and affection. She never greeted him like that, so why start now?!

"Mr. and Mrs. McCall, this is my son," she introduced him to the family.

Brandon nodded at the trio.

"What are you doing? Be polite!"Heather hissed angrily from beside him, low enough so that only he can hear her. He rolled his eyes.

"Good morning," he said flatly while nodding his head at the three of them.

"Ahh, yes. The one and only Brandon Shields...it's truly an honor to meet you, son," Mr. McCall said while standing up and coming over to him. He held out his hand.

Brandon looked at it for a moment before shaking it politely. "Likewise, sir," he said a little coldly.

"We should sit and talk," Heather laughed while dragging Brandon by the arm. He groaned internally as he sat beside his mom with the family in front of him.

"This is our daughter, Mitzi," Mrs. McCall smiled at her daughter.

 _Like I care,_ Brandon scoffed internally. He gave the girl a subtle onceover. Her long hair was a pitch black. Her eyes were a dark teal blue accentuated by pale blue lens sunglasses. She wore a a dark red tight bandage dress that clung to her like a second skin. She showed sufficient cleavage for a formal outing.

Her makeup was matched to perfection and her outfit. She didn't look downright ridiculous but it was a little extra in his opinion. Her hair was let down in a pin straight style with a middle partition.

 _REJECTED,_ he thought mentally. A girl's appearance says a lot about her. For example, he had a sinking suspicion that she's the type who gives a high preference for looks rather than personality.

"It's so great to finally meet you!" she squeaked in a nasally annoying voice while standing up slightly and extending her perfectly manicured hand to him.

"You too," he said emotionlessly while shaking her hand briefly before letting go.

"So! It's so great to finally meet all of you. Brandon looked forward to this for a long time now," Heather said with a bright smile on her face.

 _Did I now?_ Brandon turned to her with a raised eyebrow. He didn't care if they noticed it but sprewing such outright lies was just ridiculous.

"Me too, Mrs. Shields! You know, I actually thought you were Brandon's sister before I knew who you were!" Mitzi gushed like an idiot.

"Aww, you're such a sweet girl!" Heather laughed.

Brandon clutched his head in embarrassment, feeling a migraine coming on.

Mrs. McCall smiled. "I don't see your daughter, Mrs. Shields."

"Oh, she went to college," Heather smiled. "She's a senior and will finish her education in a few months."

"Oh, you must be so proud," Mr. McCall said. "I don't see Mr. Shields either," he laughed.

"I deeply apologize for their lack of presence." Heather snapped her fingers. "How about this? We can all go on a little tour and get to know each other more. How does this weekend sound?"

Mr. McCall's eyes widened in delight. "That would be wonderful."

Brandon, who has had just about enough of this maniacal fakeness, sighed. He racked his brain for something to say only to feel disappointed when he had no credible excuse.

"Mrs. Shields?" a soft voice murmured out of nowhere. Brandon's breath hitched immediately as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up with goosebumps. With bated breath, he looked up to see... _Stella_ standing next to them while holding a tray out.

"You can set them right here," Heather neutrally nodded towards the table.

Brandon watched Stella nod obediently before setting the tray down. There were a few plates filled with sweets and cakes along with soft drinks. His eyes softened as he watched her in awe. She, beautiful as always, appeared stoic. He longed to see what her smile would be like. Her amber eyes were neutral, devoid of any emotion. _Usual._

After she was done, she picked the empty tray up and left quietly. He craned his head back slightly, longing to see her again. Honestly, her presence of ten seconds was literally the highlight of his day.

"Mrs. Shields, so where do you think we should go to?"

Brandon, whose eyes were on the retreating blonde till now, addressed the family again. "Yeah, about that. I'm sorry. I can't come with you. I have plans." And with that, he stood up.

Heather's eyes widened angrily. "What plans?" she asked with her teeth clenched tightly in a fake smile plastered on her face, but Brandon knew that she was actually pissed off.

"I promised my girlfriend that I'll spend more time with her," he cut her off immediately, not caring for her tone or the later consequences.

"Girlfriend?" Mitzi gasped. "I didn't know you had a girlfriend."

"Yes. _Girlfriend._ I guess you don't know anything me then _,"_ Brandon fake smiled, resisting the urge to snap the arrogance right off of her. He internally smirked when he saw crestfallen faces on all four of them. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and call her," he smiled before turning on his heel.

"Mrs. Shields, we were informed that your son was still single," Mr. McCall said heatedly with crossed arms when Brandon was longer within earshot.

"I wasn't aware of this nuisance as well," Heather said angrily while looking in the direction that Brandon just disappeared off to. "I'll talk to him. I assure you, I approve of Mitzi and would love for her to be my daughter-in-law."

Brandon quickly moved away from the ridiculous conversation. He found himself going to the kitchen and he didn't know why. He ignored his subconscious who showed him a certain portrait of a vivacious blonde. Since when was he so desperate to get a glimpse of a girl who barely gives him the time of day? He stepped into the kitchen when other maids instantly turned to him.

"Dr. Shields, are you hungry, sir?" one of them approached.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you," he smiled respectfully at each of them. "Where is Stella?" he asked.

"Oh...uh, I think she stepped out for a minute, sir. But I can call her for you," the girl offered.

"No, no, it's fine. I'll go myself, thank you," he smiled before ushering them to continue whatever it is that they were doing.

* * *

Brandon ventured out through the back door. He was greeted with a gentle, summer breeze that ruffled his chestnut locks lightly. His eyes looked confused as he scanned the surroundings for a dash of pastel yellow. _Where did she go?_ he asked himself while moving towards the gardens. She always seemed to be either in the house or near the ornate fountain. So it was worth a first look.

A tall blonde sat on the grassy floor of the gardens. She looked around and let out a small sigh when she saw no one in the vicinity.

She sat cross-legged and put her head into her hands. She felt slightly dizzy. She rubbed her head to keep herself awake. Not that she was feeling sleepy, but she'd definitely love to fall in bed right now. _But since when did my opinions matter?_ she breathed to herself.

Taking a deep breath of the fresh air, she willed herself to stand up once more. She smoothed out her dress and pulled it down. It fell a little above her knees and it was pretty comfortable. She ran a hand through her long tresses, not realizing that she had an audience many meters away.

Brandon watched with an acute curiosity when the object of his interest stood near the fountain, just as he had anticipated earlier. He watched her adjust herself. She wasn't wearing anything revealing, yet she still seemed insecure about it. He smiled as he leaned against the wall with crossed arms, his legs crossing over one another stylishly.

He didn't know why he wanted to talk to her so badly. And now that she's right in front of him, he didn't know what to say. She seemed so quiet and detached that it made him insecure about approaching her. He scoffed at the irony. _He was nervous about a girl?_ Since when? It was usually the opposite. Girls threw themselves at him shamelessly but he was never the one to think twice before approaching a girl.

But Stella...she was certainly different. Anyone in her shoes would've been in a traumatic state of mind considering all the things she went through. But...she certainly didn't appear to be in one. She was quiet, that's for sure. But she never showed any signs of discomfort nor did she complain about anything. Her neutral face didn't allow him to see what she was feeling even though he was desperate to know what went on in that cute little head of hers.

He grew alert when he saw her walk towards the house again.

Stella's heels pressed against the neatly trimmed grass. She looked around the lot innocently while taking in the beauty of this mansion. She liked this house. It was definitely better than her first one. Everyone seemed nice except for Mrs. Shields. The woman of the house seemed to have a bitter grudge against Stella. The blonde, however, has never seen so many people at once and she remembered feeling spooked in the beginning. Pretty much everyone knew that she went through something very bad and they were nice to her. Besides, somehow no one dared to make the blonde upset. Some knew that it was Brandon Shields who brought her into this house and they didn't dare to mess with Stella.

She stopped when she reached the kitchen's back door. Lost in her own thoughts, she never realized the looming figure behind her. Her eyes widened when someone grabbed her wrist. Her mouth opened automatically in a scream but a hand muffled her sounds.

She felt herself being dragged away. Whoever it was pulled her behind the house.

Brandon took her away and gently dragged her to a secluded part. He didn't want any nosy eavesdroppers or unwanted audience. He could tell that she was scared out of her mind. He stopped just at a corner.

Stella's heart hammered violently against her chest when an arm wounded around her waist and another remained clamped against her mouth. She muffle-screamed again when _he_ turned her around. She blinked rapidly in fear when she saw herself staring into coal brown depths.

"Please. Don't be scared," Brandon whispered while looking around to make sure that no one heard her from earlier. He turned to her after a few seconds and was instantly hooked to her face. His eyes widened slightly when she looked terrified to her core. _Good Lord._ Removing his hands from her, he stepped away immediately. He watched her breathe in a huge sigh of relief.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to talk to you," he apologized while taking a small step towards her, noticing how she cowered immediately. "Are you doing okay?"

She looked at him for a moment before looking at her toes. She mutely nodded. He sighed. He took another step towards her. She gasped when he lifted her chin with his finger. "Stella, look at me, please. I'm not going to hurt you," he spoke softly.

Shakily, she turned to him. "Are you unhappy here? Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asked.

She immediately shook her head and he didn't understand if she really meant it or if she just bobbed her head because she was afraid of him.

"You just have to ask if you need _anything._ Understood?" he said.

"Yes, sir," she answered.

He nodded with a smile but he hated how she used formalities against him. He can save that for another day. Right now, he had more pressing issues. He stared at her for a long moment before speaking again. "I wanted to ask you something though," he said.

Her eyes narrowed curiously. What could he possibly from her?

"Will you be my girlfriend?" he suddenly asked.

Her eyes instantly widened in disbelief. Her jaw nearly hit the floor at how blankly she's gaping. _I'm sorry, what?!_ she gasped audibly. Here was a rich millionaire and...he wants _her_ to be his girlfriend? _HER?!_ She blinked many times in shock as she stood there in front of him dumbly.

He chuckled at her expression. "Don't get me wrong. I don't know if you noticed, but my mother's trying to ship me off with some girl I don't even know. I need an excuse to get out of it."

"...oh..." she bit her lip nervously. She fidgeted with her fingers. "Your mother doesn't like me too much," she said in a soft, scared voice.

He took another step closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders tentatively. "It's only for a _very_ short time. I swear, Stella, I won't let her touch you," he assured firmly.

She blinked and looked at her shoulders before turning to him again. "I meant...I'm not good enough for you even if your mother does approve, sir," she said.

He raised an eyebrow. "That's none of your business. If I think you're good enough for me, then it shouldn't concern you. My feelings are my own."

She flinched at the edge in his voice. She looked away. She was forced to look at him again when he grasped her chin firmly. "Will you say yes?" he asked, coaxing her almost pleadingly.

"...but I'm sure you have other women who would want to be your girl-"

 _Like I give a damn about them,_ he rolled his eyes. Ever since Stella stepped into this house, he's been super cautious and protective of her. A day hasn't gone by where he didn't check up on her through Faragonda. Only after knowing about her, he was able to appease the anxiety that somehow settled itself into his heart.

Besides...forget the overprotectiveness. He was _curious_ about her. And he didn't really know what to do to make her notice him as a man. She was too pure and too innocent. She's truly breathtakingly beautiful to him in every single way and it's really a shame that she doesn't realize it herself. He never wanted to see a blemish on her purity. He just wanted to see her happy. He wanted to unravel the mystery behind those golden honey colored eyes of hers. And he'll do just that... _if she lets him._

He sighed. "I don't want any of those girls. I want _you,"_ he said sincerely.

He didn't miss the way her eyes grew large and wide. She must be hearing this incorrectly. Why would he want her? She's just a broken and bruised female who has no future whatsoever other than cleaning up after others.

"I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise you. I won't even reveal your name, but in case I'm forced to, I'll just let everyone know about you," he spoke gently.

A small 'oh' formed on her lips. So he's not really asking her to be his girlfriend. She's just the last resort. He just promised that he won't reveal her name unless he doesn't have a choice.

"Okay," she said with a nod. It's the least she could do after the lengths he went to get her out of that hell hole of a house. But she was confused about why in the world he'd pick her. As far as she knew, the rich people only went for other rich folks. She thought he'd be interested with someone a little more class or at least someone who doesn't freak out at the sight of people.

She gasped suddenly when she heard the kitchen door being flung open. Brandon's eyes narrowed curiously as he peered over the corner. His breath hitched when he saw his mother marching out in the open, clearly looking for him. "BRANDON!" she yelled.

Stella nearly jumped. Brandon gasped slightly as he flung forward to cover her mouth. He held the frightened blonde close to himself as he peered from the wall towards his mother. He wasn't even remotely scared, per se, but he didn't want to get Stella in trouble. His mother already kept a close watch on that girl for no necessary reason already.

 _As if she really gives me the time of day,_ he scoffed to himself _._ He needed to kidnap her in his own house in order to have a word with her.

"Shhhh," he coaxed her shivering form while effectively hiding them away from his mother's view.

"BRANDON!" Heather called out again.

"Dammit," he cursed. "Stay here for a few minutes, okay?" he whispered to the blonde. "I'll lead her away from you."

Stella nodded. He chuckled when he saw her bobbing her head up and down multiple times. Unwillingly, he dropped his hand from her face. He didn't miss the immense sigh of relief that donned her pretty face as he stepped away from her. "Am I that much of a beast?!" he frowned as he inaudibly muttered to himself. She stood there obediently as he slowly retreated away into the open.

He placed a finger on his lips as Stella nodded. He took a deep breath and adjusted his suit once before coughing slightly.

"Hey, mom," he greeted casually and approached his mother.

Heather glared as she turned around. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING!?" she hissed.

"So I take it the McCalls left?" he asked.

"You nearly messed up _EVERYTHING!_ Do you have any idea how hard it was to make them come here?!" she growled angrily.

Brandon crossed his arms. "I don't like that girl. _Period."_

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Stella come around the corner and slowly tip toe her way to the back door. He waited with bated breath and prayed that Heather didn't turn around.

"It's a wealthy family, Brandon! Mitzi is a VERY lovely girl and you will marry her one day. So don't you _dare_ defy me!" Heather snapped.

"...And if I do?" Brandon asked with a sigh.

Heather glared and crossed her arms. "Then you won't be my son anymore."

At that second, Stella stopped instantly. Her hand on the knob froze as she heard those words. A small frown marred her face as she registered Heather's words. Brandon, however, wasn't really surprised at his mother's words.

He knew that Heather didn't really think that he'd defy her and leave the household, but little did she know that he's very close to doing that.

But nonetheless, those words hurt. Brandon frowned as he looked at the ground for a moment. "...I have to get to work," he swallowed as his brown eyes clouded with hurt.

He sighed and put his hands in his pockets before walking away into the house with indifference. He entered into the kitchen and flinched a little at the attention that was being showered on him. He looked around and saw Stella standing at the stove. She looked at him silently while other maids asked him if he needed anything. He shook his head no and continued gazing at her. For the first time since Stella got here, she looked into his eyes with something other than a neutral or scared expression.

He saw a small frown as her eyes screamed apology and comfort. A small smile made itself onto his face as he broke off the contact immediately and walked away into the living room.

* * *

 _ **Many hours later...**_

 **~ The Same Evening - 8:50 PM ~**

Brandon entered the home with his briefcase and rubbed the back of his neck a little tiredly. He let out a small sigh at the silence that greeted him. Taking a deep breath, he made his way to the living room and wasn't too surprised to see his parents waiting there for him.

"Not now," he muttered as he tried to slip past them.

"Not. So. Fast," Heather glared as she ordered him to stop. Lucas sat beside her and crossed his arms but his eyes didn't seem too hostile.

"What?!" Brandon huffed irritatably as he turned around. "What do you want now?!"

"I want to know who your girlfriend is," Heather snapped. "Is she as rich as us?!"

Brandon growled in frustration as he flopped on the sofa and rubbed his forehead. He felt a headache coming on and he didn't need this right now. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Musa casually skipping down the stairs, totally unaware of the thick atmosphere here.

"With all due respect, _mother,_ that's none of your damn business," Brandon remarked as his eyes flared smugly. Musa suddenly stopped in the middle and clutched the handrail as she looked down below. Her brother and parents were in the living room and things appeared a little...tense.

Heather gasped in shock. "How _dare_ you?! Do you have any idea-"

Lucas placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. "Heather," he said calmly before turning towards his son. "Son, to be honest, I've waited. I've been waiting for a long time for you to introduce a girl to us. You haven't had a girlfriend in years."

Brandon narrowed his eyes slightly. "So...?"

"...I'm just saying. Is there a reason for that or you just don't..." Lucas trailed off.

Brandon's eyes widened at the implication. He sharply stood up in shock. "The hell, dad?! I'm not gay!" he yelled angrily.

Musa stifled a laugh from the stairs as she watched the conversation with amusement. "I need some popcorn!" she yelled into the kitchen.

Three death glares were suddenly directed towards her and she immediately raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay." She slowly descended each step one by one.

"Brandon, I will not tolerate you ruining this family's reputation!" Heather hissed heatedly.

The brunette rolled his eyes. "And _I_ won't tolerate you forcibly..."

Brandon's attention was momentarily snapped when he saw a dash of blonde enter the area. Stella looked around the room as she carried a tray towards them. She kept her head down as she heard them loudly arguing. She didn't want to be in the midst of this. Gulping a little, she found Musa and slowly walked over there.

Brandon continued angrily, "Like I said, I won't tolerate being forcibly married off to a brat!"

"BRANDON-!" Heather started as her face turned a beet red from anger.

Stella bit her lip as she stopped in front of Musa. "Miss?" she whispered as she handed the tray to her.

Musa scratched her head. "What is it?" she asked as she removed the lid.

"Popcorn," Stella answered innocently.

Musa stifled a laugh when she saw buttered popcorn in a bowl on the tray. She let loose and started to crack up hysterically as she took the bowl. Instantly, Heather's glare redirected towards the blonde. Stella's eyes widened as she clutched the tray tightly to her chest. Brandon looked at the commotion as well. His eyes danced with amusement when Musa started to eat the popcorn that Stella got. He shook his head as a small smile came onto his face at Stella's incredible naivety.

"YOU!" Heather yelled. "You _dare_ to mock me?!"

Stella gasped in fear. Musa immediately came to her defense. "Woah. _Chillax,_ mom. It's not her fault. I kinda did ask for some food. Now, go yell at Brandon," she rolled her eyes. And that seemed to remind Heather of the situation going on here. Musa instantly pushed Stella to leave and silently told her to not enter this room for a while. Heather wasn't really known to keep her cool.

Stella started to slowly walk away as to not make a peep.

"Brandon-" Heather started her rant again angrily.

"Mom. Stop. I'm not going to marry Mitzi!" he yelled angrily. His face turned red with anger as he glared at his mother.

"Fine, then. I have plenty of other girls for you to choose," Heather spat as she took out her purse. She zipped it open and took out a set of photos before chucking them angrily at the table.

Brandon death glared as he eyed the pictures below angrily. His lips twitched as he struggled not to snap. His jaw clenched as his hands formed into fists.

"Brandon Alexander Shields, you _will_ pick a girl right this instant! Who will you marry?!" his mother yelled angrily. Brandon's eyes clouded with rage as his fists started to shake in livid anger. He honestly wanted to-

 _Wait._ His eyes were pulled when Stella came into his peripheral vision. _She's still here,_ he thought. His mind started to spin at the conversation from this morning with her. His eyes glinted with delight as an idea popped into his head. Slowly, his lips formed into a smirk as he pointed to his left, "That maid over there."

A hushed silence fell upon the room immediately.

Stella suddenly gasped as she stopped in her tracks, completely frozen. Her heart started to hammer so loudly against her chest that she was sure everyone can hear it. Blood rushed to her brain as she slowly looked at the family. She gulped at everyone's faces. Heather looked murderously actually and Lucas didn't seem to mind. He merely crossed his arms with a small frown.

Stella blinked, not knowing what to do or say. She saw Brandon moving towards her with a clenched jaw that she unconsciously took a step back. Before she knew it, he reached her in a few strides.

"Dr. Shiel-" she started to protest as she resembled a deer caught in headlights. She was honestly petrified at the attention that's unfortunately being directed at the house.

Her protest was cut off and turned into a gasp when Brandon seized her tightly by the waist. The brunette gave a long look at her before clasping a hand on the nape of her neck. Before she knew what was happening, a pair of cool lips captured hers in a vicious kiss.

 **...**

* * *

Thank you for reading!

I promise to try and update all of my other stories as well. The recently updated stories won't be updated any time soon because I'm literally stuck on them. I haven't started any of them yet. So I'll update the older ones first. Thank you!

 **A huge thank you and hug to all of those users who encouraged me to continue this story! I wasn't really sure if anyone still wants to read this...so...**


	5. Moving Out

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN WINX CLUB.**

 **...I'm such a slowpoke when it comes to updating xD I understand I haven't updated in over 7 months, but I've been receiving reviews every now and then.**

 **So, I hope at least some of you have interest. Thank you :)**

* * *

 **~ Shields' Household - 9:15 PM ~**

"Brandon Alexander Shields, you _will_ pick a girl right this instant! Who will you marry?!" his mother yelled angrily. Brandon's eyes clouded with rage as his fists started to shake in livid anger. He honestly wanted to-

 _Wait._ His eyes were pulled when Stella came into his peripheral vision. _She's still here,_ he thought. His mind started to spin at the conversation from this morning with her. His eyes glinted with delight as an idea popped into his head. Slowly, his lips formed into a smirk as he pointed to his left, "That maid over there."

A hushed silence fell upon the room immediately.

Brandon's eyes fixated on the blonde as he watched her freeze in her tracks. She stopped mid-step as she stood there like a statue. He watched his mother turn to her in shock which quickly turned to a ferocious rage as her eyes landed on the blonde, who now turned around.

Brandon could tell that Stella was afraid judging by how she was blinking so fast and scanning the room left and right. She bit her lip as she stood there dumbly as she didn't let a single peep come out of her.

Brandon's feet slowly moved as adrenaline pumped through his veins. He knew it was wrong and that it was totally uncalled for when he revealed Stella's name. But he couldn't help himself. He had a situation where he was forced to choose from a set of spoilt girls when he literally had an oblivious jewel moving around him.

He clenched his jaw tightly as he watched Stella shake a little while he neared her.

"Dr. Shie—" she stammered questioningly.

 _Save it,_ he ignored her surprise.

He halted before her for just a split second before grabbing her by the waist. Stella let out a sharp, surprised gasp as he crushed her against his chest. He took in her features one by one, ignoring the way she froze at their sudden proximity. A hand snaked around the base of her neck as he pulled her closer and leaned in towards her inviting lips. Before she knew what was happening, he captured her soft lips tightly with his own. He loved the way she gasped in his hold.

The tray Stella held slowly dropped to the floor unceremoniously as a metal clang rang throughout the sinfully silent house.

Brandon closed his eyes and kissed her almost roughly with an urgency he never felt before for any other female he ever encountered in his life. He gripped her hair urgently as he felt a rush of emotions cackle through him like electricity.

This is wrong. This is seriously wrong. He could feel her frozen form underneath him but somehow...he chose to look past that. He loved the way she tasted but to his dismay, he had to pull away, considering a live audience standing just a few feet away.

He pulled back after a few moments. He looked into her eyes and saw shock, surprise, and numbness in them. _Just what I expected,_ he thought in amusement. He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb for a brief moment before pulling back and turning around.

He saw everyone looking at him in shock including Heather. No one knew what to say. Musa, however, smirked just a little at the public kiss.

 _Well damn, boy,_ Musa snickered.

The shock slowly started to wear off as Brandon wrapped an arm around Stella's shoulders and pulled her closer. She numbly stood there in shock. Brandon smirked a little, choosing to deal with it later. It was almost amusing and a little fun to watch the blonde completely flustered and out of her mind. If he's not wrong...he just deceptively stole her _first_ kiss (unless she was a little frisky rowdy when she was eleven). And he liked that. He liked it a lot. From what he knew, she hasn't stepped out into the world since she was eleven-ish. He imagined that a eleven year old wouldn't go around kissing, but then again...who knew? ...

 _Silence._

...

Lucas was the first to overcome this unexpected greeting. He swallowed before speaking. "...for how long has this been going on?" he asked hesitantly.

"...A while," Brandon answered vaguely with a shrug. He honestly didn't know what to say. He barely knew this girl for two weeks. But saying that would give him no leverage. So, that wouldn't really be a great standpoint to begin with.

"What's your name?" Lucas asked the twenty-three old female cautiously.

Stella blinked. _Huh?_ Brandon squeezed her shoulders and she snapped back to reality. "S-Stella," she answered squeakily.

"So, _Stella_...do you love my son?" Lucas asked.

Stella's eyes widened. _Love?_ She looked up at Brandon who subtly urged her to answer with a yes. She turned back to Lucas. "Y-Yes, sir..." Stella gulped.

Lucas sighed and nodded. "Uh...then I have nothing else to say other than expressing my disappointment that I wish you just told us sooner," he said, referring to Brandon.

"Lucas!" Heather gasped in outrage. "You can't possibly be okay with this!"

Lucas shrugged. "Why not? They're adults. They both love each other. Why should we be in the way of that?"

 _"NO!"_ Heather defiantly yelled. "YOU!" she shrilly screamed as she marched towards Stella. "YOU GOLD-DIGGER! DO YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN MATCH UP TO _MY_ SON?!" Heather hollered.

Stella started to squirm in Brandon's hold as she tried to free herself. But his grip remained firm and painfully tight as he held her against him. His eyes narrowed dangerously. From his standpoint, his mother had _no_ right to yell at Stella. Stella came into this house under _his_ protection. She didn't come here on her own. She didn't have any other choice and legally speaking, he _was_ her guardian.

"ANSWER ME!" Heather yelled.

" _ENOUGH!_ " Brandon snarled angrily, silencing the house once more. Stella jumped at his tone. Heather gasped and everyone else instantly went silent. Her eyes grew wide at the brunette's raised tone. He never acted this way with her ever before. "I've _always_ listened to you for the past twenty-six years! But not anymore, mom! If you have a problem with her, you deal with _ME._ But don't you _dare_ yell at her again," he hissed as his glare only grew stronger with each word.

"I won't have her in my house!" Heather spewed hatefully as she looked at the blonde in raw disgust.

"In that case, you won't have me either," Brandon said coldly, earning a gasp from Lucas and Musa while Heather looked at him with wide eyes.

"I'll find myself a new place," Brandon hissed. His eyes softened just a little as he turned to Stella. "Go and get your stuff," he whispered so that only she can hear. "And change that dress." She turned to him with wide eyes. He slowly let her go and gave her a little nod to tell her to get going.

"You're not really serious!" Heather scoffed in disbelief.

Brandon's eyes followed the blonde for a brief moment as she slowly left to the kitchen. He turned his eyes back to the family before moving towards the stairs. "Watch me." He ignored Heather's statement. "We're leaving. I've been patient, but this has gone too far. I'm done."

Just as he took a step upstairs, an arm grasped his wrist. "You're not really serious, are you?" Musa asked with worried eyes.

Brandon shook his arm free and turned to Heather. "Just because I'm her son doesn't mean that I'm her goddamn puppet," he glowered before going upstairs, taking two steps at a time.

"Heather, this is ridiculous," Lucas said while following the angry brunette upstairs. "He's not our slave. He's our son. It's high time you recognize that."

Musa turned hatefully towards her mother. "What is wrong with you?!" she shouted as she, too, followed her dad upstairs.

Brandon looked up when he saw his dad and sister waltz into the room. He rolled his eyes as he took the clothes from the hangers in his closet and folded them neatly, but hastily into the suitcase.

Musa's eyes widened in panic. "You're serious?!" she gasped. "You're really leaving?!"

"Pretty sure I made that clear, sis," he said coldly as he dumped in more clothes. He was done. As far as he was concerned, he tried to be the ideal son that every parent ever dreamt of. But even he had limits. He obviously wasn't going to stand still like an idiot and let his mother insult the girl he clearly cared about. Besides, it wasn't just about insulting Stella.

For _every_ opposing choice he took against Heather, she kept threatening him with the cliche 'my-house-my-rules'. How far can he take it? He's twenty-six years old, for Christ's sake! When was he allowed to make decisions for himself? When was he allowed to choose? _When?!_ Even his life partner was chosen for him! What right did his mother have to do that? She had a right to help him decide but she most definitely did not the authority to force a girl to be tied with him.

"Brandon, come on. You know how your mother is sometimes. She's just angry, that's all," Lucas tried in vain.

Brandon didn't reply. Instead, he simply zipped up the suitcase. "I'll come back later when she's not here and pick up the rest of my stuff. Don't worry. You'll see me at work."

He took the suitcase in his hands before hastily checking his pockets for his car keys. An arm interrupted him from leaving. "Stop," Lucas firmly ordered. "This isn't the way to deal with your mother."

"It is for now," Brandon said coldly before shaking his father's hand off.

"Brandon, wait!" Musa came in front of him. "Please don't leave," she said with tears in her eyes. "Or better yet, wait! Take me with you."

Brandon chuckled before placing a gentle palm in her hair. "Take care of mom, okay?"

Musa scoffed. "She's kicking my brother out and you want _me_ to be okay with it?! You've got some nerve, pal."

"She's still our mom," he said with a light smile.

"Why can't you stay?!" Musa asked with teary eyes. "...you're all I have."

Brandon wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tightly. "I'm not going far, sis," he told her gently before letting her go. "I'll call you," he replied before kissing her forehead.

Musa and Lucas watched with heartbreak as they continued to stop him. But it was to no avail. Brandon ignored their pleas and descended down the stairs with his suitcase in tow. His eyes brimmed with hurt as he waited for his mother to say something to stop him. If she just...

One word from her to stop and he will. One word from her was all he needed to dump his suitcase back in his closet. But...

 _Nothing._

Heather stood silent as she watched Brandon drag his suitcase out of the living room. "You'll regret this choice. And when you do, don't bother showing your face here," she hissed as she pushed past everyone and climbed upstairs.

Brandon stopped in his tracks at those words. His eyes turned red but he refused to let everyone show how much that actually stung. Just because he refused to marry the girl of Heather's dreams...he had no place in this family anymore. Brandon took a deep breath, trying to swallow the huge lump that settled in his throat.

Without another word, he touched the knob and turned it. He opened the door and slammed it shut on his way out. A lone tear slipped his eye. He hastily wiped it away. Contrary to how it may sound, he still loved his mom. Who wouldn't?

 _But..._

He only wished that she can understand him. He didn't want to marry someone he didn't love and then end up divorcing a few months later due to 'irreconcilable differences'. He wanted to settle for someone he truly loved and spend the rest of his life with that woman. A little cliche, but that's what he wanted. And so far, he didn't find such a woman yet.

Taking another deep breath, he moved towards the outhouse. He stopped in his tracks suddenly when he saw Stella standing with her suitcase a few meters away. As she was told, she wasn't in a maid outfit anymore. His attention shifted as he walked towards her. "Is that all?" he asked as he approached her.

She mutely nodded.

"Then let's go," he said as he picked up her suitcase in his hands. He walked with their luggage when her voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Please wait," she said softly.

He turned around questioningly. Nervously, she took a few steps towards him. She rubbed her arms up and down nervously as she bit her lip. "Um...I'll leave. There's no reason for you to do it. Sir," she said.

"I'm not leaving because of you," he sighed. "My reasons are my own."

"Then...why are we leaving together? I can go somewhere—"

"Where?" he cut her off firmly. His eyes narrowed as if daring her to question him again. And knowing her, she wouldn't. "You're under _my_ custody, so until _I_ say otherwise, you belong to me. Understood?!"

Stella fell speechless as she looked at the ground. She simply nodded and fell silent once more. "Yes, sir," she said in a low voice.

"Get in the car," he ordered as he picked up their luggage once more before walking towards his black Mercedes in the garage. He heard Stella's light but quick-paced footsteps following behind him. He felt a little bad for snapping at her like that, but he can apologize later. Right now, he needed to figure out what to do about their current situation. He sure as hell wasn't going to let her go anytime soon. Truth be told, he didn't want to. He wanted her by his side.

Especially _after that kiss_...he felt something shift inside of him. It was more than just a jolt of electricity or a flitter of sparks. It was more of a deep and caring intuition for the blonde that he couldn't quite explain in words.

As he approached his car, he set the suitcases down and opened the trunk. Tossing them inside effortlessly, he unlocked the car and told her to sit in the front. Stella wordlessly climbed inside the passenger seat as Brandon took up the driver's side. He saw her stupidly sit with her hands in her lap. Shaking his head at this girl's growing eccentricity, he reminded her to put on the seat belt. Her lips parted slightly in understanding before she put the belt on.

He pulled out from the home before swerving smoothly into the main road. He let out a small sigh, still unable to believe what just happened in the last thirty minutes. "Great," he whispered while clutching the steering wheel a little tightly.

But he had no time to ponder over that anymore. He needed to figure out what to do, like, for example, where the _hell_ he was gonna live. It was so last minute and it was late night already. So he needed to wait at least until tomorrow before he can get a new house for himself.

Taking a deep breath, he shoved the conversation between him and his mother aside. He spared a side glance towards Stella and noticed how she was silent as usual. Her eyes were on her lap as she sat stiffly next to him. She didn't allow herself to relax and instead, she just waited for him to take her wherever he wanted.

"Hungry?" Brandon asked as he drove.

He saw shake her head 'no'.

 _Can't she tell that I'm trying to make conversation?!_ he thought in frustration. Ugh. Sometimes, this girl was beyond infuriating. He didn't understand if he should judge her as rude or...if it was just the way she behaved.

Silently, he drove straight to a hotel. The only time she looked up was when he parked and turned off the ignition. The engine hummed till it settled into a deafening silence. He gestured for her to get out before doing it himself. He opened the boot before taking out their luggage.

"We should get inside..." he started but then trailed off when he took in her face of surprise.

Stella looked up at the height of the hotel in surprise as awe graced her features pleasantly. He found himself staring at her as she stood by his car, looking curiously around the parking lot. He couldn't help the small smile that widened on his lips. Of course, this was all so new and different to her.

He smiled before clearing his throat. She immediately turned to him before facing downwards as usual. He sighed at that. Yeah, he needed to talk to her about treating him like a human being. K.

He'll do that right now. "Come on," he said before telling her to follow him.

Without a place to stay at the moment, a hotel is the next best alternative. They can stay here for as long as required before finding a more permanent place to stay.

As they went inside, Stella shook and hugged herself nervously. She felt incredibly insecure seeing so many people roaming around her and chattering loudly. The halls were illuminated with bright golden lights. Chandeliers were hung around and the lights from scintillated off the polished floors.

She followed closely behind Brandon. They stopped at the reception and saw that there was another man in front.

Stella tried to stand still but she felt the urge to run away from here. This place was too crowded and too shiny for her. She started to breathe heavily as she felt dizzy and irreparably scared for a few moments.

"Thank you," the person in front of them said while taking the key card from the receptionist.

Stella gasped when the man turned around. She jumped slightly, making the man look at her in bewilderment.

Brandon turned in question only to see Stella being unreasonably terrified.

"Oh. I'm sorry," the man apologized politely for a reason he honestly didn't know. "Miss, are you alright?"

Brandon smiled tightly and grabbed Stella's wrist before pulling her closer ther a little behind him. "Sorry about that. My...uh...my girlfriend went through a loss recently. She's still a little traumatized by that."

"Oh. I'm sorry about that," the person smiled sympathetically and also out of relief. He left soon after. Brandon let out a sigh of relief before turning towards the receptionist. "A suite room, please."

The receptionist nodded. "Your name and ID, sir."

"Brandon Shields," the brunette spoke while handing over his driver's license.

Brandon turned towards Stella, who looked as if she'll pass out from fear any second. "Stella?" he asked gently before wrapping an arm around her in comfort. "Hey, it's okay."

He watched her look up at him and he was instantly hooked to her honey-colored molten eyes. _Wow,_ he breathed. He felt like drowning and suffocating in those depths before he was interrupted.

"Eighteenth floor. Room 1824. Your room key, sir," the receptionist smiled. "We hope you have a nice stay."

Brandon smiled. "Thank you," he said before taking their luggage. Stella followed behind him wordlessly while keeping her face down. She ignored the people around her even though there weren't that many at this time of night. She clamped her hands into fists before starting to hyperventilate a little.

Brandon sighed a little in relief when he saw the elevators were empty. Stella looked as if she's about to have a panic attack. This was a mistake.

Sighing, he pushed the luggage inside before pulling Stella inside. And that was it.

She completely lost it when the doors shut close. "Woah!" he tried to calm her down when she jumped ten feet in the air and backed herself into a corner. _Did she never see an elevator before? Honestly, there were there even before we were born!_ he thought in concern.

"Stella, you need to calm down," he told her, trying to get her to look at him. She wildly looked around her, but made no other noise.

"Stella, please. It's okay," he gently spoke while moving towards her. She stiffened and looked at him in terror when he moved towards her. "Hey," he said while raising his hands in surrender. "There's no reason to be afraid. Okay?" he spoke softly. "It's just an elevator."

He gave her his hand to take as she latched herself into the corner wordlessly. She panted heavily and his eyes only narrowed in concern. He eyed the floors. Just one more to go. _Phew,_ he thought. That's a relief.

Honestly, if someone's looking at this footage, they'd think that he was kidnapping her or something. "Here. Take my hand," he told her while extending it towards her.

He watched her stare at it for a long moment before raising her own hand. Smiling, he took her hand in his. "It's okay. It's just an elevator. You know what that is, don't you?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. She nodded as she looked around.

"Good," he smiled.

Just then, the elevator let out a ding as the doors opened slowly. A few people came inside and Stella bit her lip to suppress the scream that came her way. Brandon paled at her panic attack. He immediately pushed the luggage outside before taking her hand and pulling her into the hallway.

The doors closed and he sighed in relief. He honestly didn't need people thinking that he kidnapped this girl or something. That would be horrible. "You okay?" he asked. She frantically nodded as she looked at him. Honestly, he could tell that she wasn't but she was just saying it for his sake.

If he didn't have two suitcases in his hands, he would've picked her up or at least held her hand. Sadly, he was in a position to do neither.

He picked up the baggage and went towards their room. She followed him silently and kept her hand in his. She did NOT like this place. It was really full of people and it was too bright for her. The maids in the Shields' household left her alone for the most part except for Ms. Faragonda, who would occasionally make small talk with her. And when she had a minute to spare, she would immediately step out and take a greedy gulp of fresh air.

Brandon stopped in front of their room before unlocking it with the key card. He told her to go inside first before following behind her.

Brandon couldn't even put it in words the immense relief he felt when they were _finally_ inside. Oh good lord. It felt like ages since they stepped out of the car. If he had known it would've been this much of a _hassle,_ he would've prepared himself for it.

 _Now,_ she was more than welcome to scream and squeal. To his ironic dismay, she looked like she was just about to do that.

"Stella?" he approached her yet again. She looked at him with her baby brown eyes. It shocked him to see her eyes slightly glistening. She looked like she was about to cry.

He instantly rushed towards her when she started to sniffle. "Hey, it's okay. Why're you crying?" he asked as he placed a finger under her chin. He wanted to do much more than that, but he feared her sanity at the moment. She remained silent.

"Here. Come on, sit," he told her as he led her towards the sofa in the mini living room. She started to perch herself on the floor. He groaned loudly when he saw her sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Okay. We're gonna lay some ground rules over here," he huffed. "When I tell you to sit, I meant sit on some furniture. _Not_ on the floor."

She immediately bolted up straight at her tone and he groaned again at her immediate compliance. It's official. This girl will be the death of him one day.

"Sit," he ordered and pointed towards the sofa. She looked at him hesitantly and slowly sat down. He flopped beside her. "Okay. Good. That's a start."

She looked at her lap and somehow didn't look like she's gonna cry anymore. _Great!_

"Stella, look at me. Please," he tried again restlessly. He was clearly tired from today's ordeal and she wasn't making this any easier for him. He knew it wasn't her fault but that didn't stop him from being frustrated.

She turned towards him and he looked away slightly because she was so freaking gorgeous when she's especially up close. He took a deep breath and turned towards her again.

"I need you to talk to me. Alright? I'm not here to hurt you, so you can tell me if there's anything bothering you. Okay?"

She nodded. _Silence._ Again!

"And...it'll probably be just us for a while," he told her. "I'll find us a house soon, okay?"

Her eyes widened and she looked as if she's about to say something. He snapped his fingers and stuck an index finger pointedly at her. "There. _That._ You have something to say? You're gonna say it," he told her.

"Um...I don't want to be a bother to you. Sir."

"Oh there's another thing. You're not gonna call me sir anymore. That's just ridiculous. Call me by my name. Okay?" he smiled.

She nodded. "Yes, Dr. Shields."

He groaned and ran a frustrated hand through his mane. "No. Not Dr. Shields. First name. You do know my name, right?"

She nodded. "Dr. Brandon?"

"Oh my good lord," he breathed inaudibly to himself before slapping his forehead. This girl's brain is as thick and dense as a rock. "No formalities, Stella. Just Brandon. Please."

Her eyes widened once more before she nodded slowly. "Yes..um...B-Bran..d-don?" she said so softly that it broke his heart just a little.

He smiled at how endearing and lovely she truly was. "That's right. Next. Are you afraid of me? And be honest."

She bit her lip and looked at him wordlessly, wondering how to answer the question.

He chuckled. "I can tell by the I'm-afraid-of-you look that you're afraid of me." He breathed and placed a gentle palm over hers. "You don't have to be, Stella. I know nothing I say will comfort you at the moment, but I hope you still know that I'll never hurt you," he spoke, sounding very much like a broken record.

Stella simply stared at him before nodding slowly. He only wondered what she understood but anyway.

 _Moving on._

He had plenty of issues to point out about her and he needed to clarify them all. For starters, the scene back at the house could use a good justification right about now.

"And uh..." he started as he rubbed the back of his neck slightly. "I'm sorry things didn't quite turn out how I told you. That's totally my fault."

She looked at him in confusion. _Huh?_

He sighed. _Oh. Right. Dense blonde head._

"I meant that I'm sorry for kissing you," he spoke out of the blue with a smirk settling on his lips. _No, not really,_ he finished in his mind. If he could do it, he'd gladly do it all over again and hopefully prolong it a little. It would've been even more amazing if she had actually kissed him back but that was a serious over-expectation from his part.

Her eyes immediately widened to the size of saucers as she instantly looked away from him. He smiled and shook his head when she squirmed uncomfortably. Taking a little mercy on her, he grasped her chin to make her look at him again.

"I'm also a friend. If you ever need someone to talk to...I'll be here for you," he said warmly. He truly meant what he said. He hadn't offered his ear since she got here and she deserved this more than anyone. "Okay?"

She nodded, responding a little faster this time.

"Great!" he said as he stood up. "Are you hungry?" he asked as he stretched a little. He looked at himself and saw that he was still in his suit. Well, why wouldn't he be when his parents literally bombarded him with questions the microsecond he got from work?!

Stella slowly shook her head 'no', replying that she wasn't hungry.

"You sure?" he asked again.

She nodded but her stomach suddenly started to howl. She gasped and hugged herself in embarrassment while he looked at her in amusement. "That's another issue right there. Learn to ask for what you want. And don't lie to me."

Stella fidgeted with her fingers as she looked at the floor. "Um..."

"Why is it so hard for you to admit what you want? It's not really a crime to admit what you're feeling. If you're hungry, just say so."

"...But...I'm only supposed to eat twice a day," she said out of the blue.

"...excuse me?" he asked her in a bewildered state. He stared at her. _Is this girl serious?!_ he thought. No wonder she looked like she was underweight.

She blinked at her own memories. Radius would beat her if she was caught eating his food. So she always ate something heavy in the morning before he woke up and another heavy meal in the evening when he went out to get groceries or do whatever else. That was it. She wasn't really supposed to eat anything else. Otherwise, she can expect a really bad-tempered thunderstorm heading her way.

"...Is that how you lived so far?" he asked in concern as he sat back down next to her.

Stella let out a small frown. Her mother would dote on her when she was young. Stella eventually forgot how pampered and loved she was the moment she stepped foot into her father's house.

"It doesn't have to work like that anymore, Stella," Brandon told her. "If you're hungry, you're more than welcome to eat. You can eat however much you want to. I'm not going to hit you for that," he said, feeling absolutely disgusted at such a vile idea. Hunger is such a terrible, terrible thing.

 _That bastard_...he let a child go hungry for an inexplicable reason and _hit_ her for it.

Brandon didn't like the frown on her face. He didn't like seeing her so vulnerable and fragile.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to change the topic. "So, what would you like to eat?" he asked as he pulled out his phone. He gently pulled her closer beside him before turning towards his phone. She gasped slightly at the contact before falling still. Brandon smiled and pulled up the restaurants near them.

"Where do you want to order from?" he asked her.

She looked at him with wide eyes. "I...I can choose?" she asked innocently.

"Of course," he smiled as he wrapped a tender arm around her. He wondered how it would feel if she was strong again. He wanted to see her rise from this state. He wanted to see her as an independent and strong woman. And he'll help her. He'll help her become that. He'll turn her into a woman who doesn't have to depend on anyone but herself.

When he held her this time, she didn't seem so scared as she looked at the phone. "Can...can I see that?" she asked in wonder.

He chuckled and nodded. "Here," he said while handing the device to her. She stood blankly for a second as she turned the phone around and looked at it curiously. They sat on the couch once again and Brandon merely watched her in fascination. She looked so in awe at touching his phone. In fact, she was awed by every single thing, no matter how simple it is.

She let her eyes fall on the bright screen as she looked at the list of restaurants. She obviously knew her way around a phone.

"I don't know what to choose," she suddenly said as she slowly handed his phone back to him.

He took it back. "Hmm. Chinese? Do you like Chinese? Pizza? Chicken?" he asked, knowing she has to be at least distinctly familiar with those items. "What do you normally eat?"

"Fruits and salad," she answered. "And others, I suppose."

His eyes widened. " _FRUITS_?! Are you kidding me?!" he huffed.

"Certain kinds of fruits don't make you hungry that easily," she pointed out in her defense.

He instantly fell in awe when he saw a little smile erupt from her lips. _She's so beautiful,_ he thought in fascination at one of the sweetest smiles he'd ever seen. If he thought she was pretty before, then this just took the cake. Stella looked her best when she smiled. He wondered how her laugh must be like.

"I...I...um...I don't usually eat anything else," she told him as she looked at her lap. "Maybe occasionally..."

Her voice brought him back to reality. "I'm sorry, what? Oh. Oh!" he stammered like a fool. She was too distracting for her own good. "Okay. Then...is pizza okay for you?" he asked.

"I...I can't pay you back though," she said nervously.

"You don't have to," he smiled kindly down at her. "You'll never have to pay for anything."

"...Oh."

"Well then. I'll order the food. And you can change your clothes and relax. There's a TV over there." He smiled at her once more before unwillingly standing up to give her some space.

 _But_ he liked this new turn of events. This was the longest conversation he has had with her so far and it didn't involve her crying to insanity.

He smiled to himself. Honestly, this was probably the only positive thing that happened so far today. His frisky little arrangement with Mitzi and family, the heated argument, and him getting kicked out. All in one day. _Yay._ And how could he forget?

 _The kiss..._ it hardly feels real. It's definitely the highlight of his mundane day. He smirked to himself and unconsciously touched his lips for a moment longer than necessary. A deep breath left him as his lips craved to meet hers again.

 _I need a cold shower,_ he muttered to himself. He took off his suit black jacket as his feet turned towards the bedroom where two king-sized beds lay in the center. He heard Stella's footsteps behind him and wondered what she was up to now.

"I'll wash that," she said as she reached for the jacket.

"No, it's okay. There are laundry machines down in the lobby," Brandon explained.

"Oh. Then I'll go do it right now," she said, continuing to reach for his jacket.

Brandon chuckled and shook his head. "Not today," he said while grasping her flying wrist. "You'll eat first and then you'll rest. Tomorrow is going to be different."

Stella blinked. "Huh?"

"As you can see, we're both homeless right now. So I need to find a house for us."

"Oh. Is it easy?"

He smiled. "There are plenty of condos on the real estate market. So yes, it's easy."

"Oh. That's..um...that's good."

He nodded before letting go of her hand. He tossed the jacket on one of the king size beds. Loosening his tie, he removed the cuffs on his shirt before rolling the sleeves till his elbows. He went over to his suitcase before removing a hoodie and sweatpants. "Do you mind if I shower first?" he asked Stella.

She immediately shook her head no. He nodded with a thanks but wondered why he even bothered to ask. She would just act and reply to accommodate to his needs, forgetting her own. He didn't like it one bit, so he just pretended that she was a normal person and acted as so.

* * *

 _ **A while later...**_

"Thank you," Brandon smiled as he handed the delivery boy the money as well as a good tip. He took the pizza and locked the door shut before moving in to the bedroom. He glanced towards the bathroom where Stella was showering. He smiled to himself before setting the pizza on the table and relaxing on one of the beds. He wanted them to eat together.

On the inside, Stella turned off the shower and immediately got dressed. She dried her wet hair as best as she could with the towel. She looked at herself timidly in the large mirror before instantly averting her eyes away, feeling extremely insecure and self-conscious of herself.

She stepped out a few minutes later in a blue and white plaid set of pajamas. She let her hair fall loose and past her shoulders as she dried her feet on the mat. She bit her lip as she rubbed her arms, trying to warm herself from the cold.

Brandon curiously waited for her to come inside. He heard her step out, so where the hell is she? _Please don't tell me she's gone into rock mode again,_ he sighed as he dragged himself out of the bed with an annoying groan. He went to the mini living room and turned towards the bathroom where the blonde simply stood there. He suppressed a smile at how cute she looked.

"You done? I'm famished, you know," he said with crossed arms.

Her eyes widened as she slowly blinked, not understanding what he meant. Brandon groaned and raked a frustrated hand through his hair. "Are you even from this planet?" he sighed as he dragged her arm towards the bedroom. She wordlessly followed him with hurried footsteps.

"Here," he ordered her to sit either on a chair or on the bed. She chose the chair (just like he expected) and slowly sat down as she watched him. "Eat," he demanded while telling her to take a slice of the pizza. "We're going to eat and we're going to watch a movie. Understand?" he asked with a pointed glare.

She nodded immediately, obviously spooked at his demanding orders. Brandon sighed and bent to her level by standing on his knee. He didn't know what to do to make her trust him or at least see him as harmless. He took her hand in both of his.

"Is there anywhere else you'd rather be? Do you want to be somewhere else? Am I scaring you that badly, Stella?" he asked in a gentle, yet sad sigh. For some reason, it hurt him. It hurt him a lot to see her look so vulnerable in front of him.

She merely blinked. "I..."

"Don't be afraid to speak out. I'm only here to help you. But I can't do that if you're not honest with me," he told her.

Stella looked him. Her eyes darted repeatedly between her encased hand and his hopeful eyes. "You...you're a good man," she finally said.

"Really?" he chuckled. "You really think so? Or are you just saying that?"

"You are. I don't know why you care for me or why I'm worth your time, but I do believe that."

His response fell short at her reply. He didn't know why he cared for her. He honestly didn't. And he definitely didn't know why she's worth his time. She barely gave him hers.

"Can I ask how you were as a child?" he suddenly asked.

"...As a child?" she asked. He nodded and silently told her to go on. "I don't really remember," she shook her head. "My mother always treated me like a princess. And then she died. Then I went to my dad's house. I had to drop out of middle school too."

He frowned. Not really the answer he was hoping for. He stood up and she followed him with her eyes. "Eat," he said quietly while moving away from her, not knowing what else to say. He sat on the bed and took a slice of the hot pizza.

He sighed and switched on the TV and channeled to HBO. He glanced over at Stella who unsurely poked at the pizza. She stood up and looked up at him. He waited with bated breath when she slowly walked over to him.

"Does this have chicken in it?" she asked with a small frown.

"I'm sorry, are you a vegetarian?" Brandon asked. She nodded. He cursed himself for forgetting to ask. "I'm sorry, Stella. I didn't know."

"Oh. Um...it's okay," she nodded. She slowly turned around but stopped when he grasped her wrist.

"Would you like something else?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, it's fine-"

"No, it isn't. We can go out or I can order something quickly," Brandon offered while slowly standing up. She looked at him in silence for a moment before looking around the room.

"Can we?" she asked with hopeful, but averted eyes. He suddenly started to smile. _Finally! She asked for something!_ Brandon thought jubilantly. Oh hell yeah! This was serious progress.

"We can go downstairs. I'm sure there's something down there," he asked.

Stella nodded. "Can I go like this?" she asked as she referred to herself.

He chuckled. "In your pajamas? Yeah, you can. Come on."

He turned the TV off and set the pizza aside before getting up from the bed. He grabbed the room key, his phone, and his wallet before going towards the door. Stella followed right behind him. They stepped out of the room before walking down the hallway towards the elevator.

Brandon turned when he felt a tug on his arm. He saw her looking up at him curiously. "Can I ask you something?" she asked.

He nodded with a light smile.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-six."

"Ohhhh." She simply smiled at him and he was shocked to see such a reaction from her.

 _What's so great about being twenty six?_ he asked himself, wondering if he forgot something important. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but smile back at her. It was refreshing to see her walking around with something other than a dead look. Plus, her smile simply blew his breath away.

"Why?" he asked with interest. They turned around the corner. Brandon pushed the down arrow to the elevator and they both waited.

"Oh. Um. Nothing. It's admirable to see you so...I don't know," she trailed off softly. "You don't seem afraid of anything."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Really?" Seeing a nod escape her bashful and shy face, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Well, thank you."

He continued glancing at her. For some reason, she didn't seem so hollow and robotic. In his house though... _dear lord_.

He honestly thought he rescued a _robot_ , judging from the way she behaved monotonously. Whatever the case, he was just glad that she didn't seem so traumatic around him.

 _Well. At least one good thing came out of walking out of the house._

The elevator suddenly arrived to their floor with a ding. The doors chimed open and they both stepped in. Just as the doors shut close, Stella let out a small gasp. Brandon let out a startled grunt when she bumped into him and huddled into a corner.

"Stella?" _Guess he spoke too soon._

"No, no, no..." he heard her frantically mutter under her breath. Her face contorted to one of fear as she clutched her head. His eyes widened when she suddenly looked as if she's about to pass out.

"Stella, what's wrong?" he tried to touch her when she let out a frightened squeal.

"No, please!" she opened her eyes with nothing but fear in them. Tears erupted in her eyes as she started to shake.

And that's when it clicked to him. It's not the elevator that scared her. It's the dangerously narrow space.

 _Claustrophobia,_ he finished flatly in realization. He eyed her in concern, not knowing what to do. "Stella, calm down. Please," he gently said as he hovered over to her. Her frightened face touched a nerve in him. "There's nothing to be afraid of," he gently told her but his words fell on deaf ears.

She started to sniffle. Her breathing escalated and Brandon watched her hyperventilate. _God, she's going to have a panic attack,_ he thought frantically. Brandon immediately punched the stop button and the elevator stopped at the fourteenth floor. When the doors chimed open, he grabbed her hand and pulled her outside before letting go.

He watched as Stella started to breathe heavily. She looked at the elevator in fear before slowly stepping back from the thing. The frozen blonde stayed still for a mere moments before taking a few timid steps backward.

"Stella—" he started as he moved towards her cautiously.

Stella let out a final breath as she took a 180-degree turn and bolted.

"Stella, wait!" he called after her before breaking into a full sprint. Honestly, people are going to be scared or annoyed of the noise at this time of night. His eyes narrowed as she ran. _Damn, she's fast,_ he thought impressively. But not fast enough to outrun him.

Stella's cheeks pulsed with blood as she sprinted down to the end of the hallway and towards the stairs. She sighed in relief at the exit sign for stairs. Turning around the corner, she pushed open the double doors with enough force for them to slam them open. Her hand touched the railing when two strong arms wounded tightly around her.

"Not so fast, young lady," Brandon retorted in a peeved voice.

"No, please! Please let me go!" she desperately cried out in fear as she clawed the sleeves of his shirt, trying to pry herself free. However, Brandon proved to be much stronger than she gave him credit for.

"Calm down. Or else people are going to think that I've kidnapped you," he told her annoyed.

He let Stella go and turned her around so that she faced him. As he released her, she stepped back from him again and reached for the railing once more. "Would you quit running for a minute?!" he hissed.

"He'll hurt me again! He'll hit me! Please! He's coming! Please, please, please!" Stella cried like a madwoman, sending Brandon into confusion.

 _Who?_ he thought while looking around

"Stella, there's no one here—" he started.

Stella madly shook her head as her senses went to the brink of insanity. Tears started to slide down her cheeks as flashes of torturous nights invaded her. Brandon realized that she was nowhere near done with her anxiety attack. It broke him to see her like that. He grabbed her shoulders again and called out her name. "Stella, stop!"

"No, I—!" she shook in his arms as she closed her eyes tightly shut.

"Stella—"

"He's coming!" she cried. "He—"

"Ste—"

She backed herself against the grey wall and shakily fell into a pit of madness.

And that was all it took for him to go livid. Unable to take her frightened cries anymore, he did the only thing that came to his mind.

Stella instantly fell silent in shock when a pair of warm lips encased hers. Her eyes remained closed as he caressed her trembling lips with his own. Brandon wrapped a gentle arm around her while another traveled to the base of her neck. He removed her plastered form from the wall and pressed her to him instead. The kiss was gentle and lasted for a succinct moment before he slowly pulled back.

Stella slowly opened her eyes moments later and looked shocked. She shakily looked up at him who simply gazed at her with a profound concern. Brandon held her small form in his arms and gently embraced her. He didn't regret what he just did. He did what he had to do. Simple. _Or at least,_ that was the justification he gave himself. At least she didn't look so insane anymore. "There's no one here, Stella," he whispered in her ear. "You're safe."

He heard a small sniffle from her as she listened to his voice. Frowning, he wondered what triggered the attack. It didn't a brainer to figure out that 'he' referred to her imprisoned bastard of a father.

"Are you okay now?" he asked her softly while rubbing his arm up and down her back gently.

Stella slowly nodded. Sighing in relief, he slowly patted her hair. "Shall we head down?" he asked.

Stella immediately shook her head 'no'. "Please, no," she whispered.

"Upstairs then?" he asked.

She shook her head again.

He chuckled. "Stella, we can't stay here all night."

"...Can I use the stairs?" she pointed. "You can take the elevator."

He rolled his eyes. "After seeing your episode just now? Yeah no. We'll both use the stairs. Come on," he said while offering her his hand. She slowly took it with hesitation as they started to climb stairs again. Brandon called Pizza Hut once again and placed a vegetarian order. He should've done that before. It definitely would've saved him a headache and an oncoming migraine.

* * *

 _ **One hour later...**_

"You have got to kidding me," he sighed out of incredulity. Stella stared at him with timid eyes.

He sighed again as he looked at the cardboard tray in front of him. "...you made all that fuss for two slices...?" he asked with narrowed and pointed eyes. The blonde shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably. She simply looked at the floor as she fidgeted in his intense stare.

He sighed and raked a hand through his hair. He ordered a large pizza and she leaves ten slices of pizza behind. He didn't have a problem with her leaving the food but he wondered if she had enough. "You sure you'll be fine till tomorrow?" he asked with a raised brow. She nodded immediately.

"Great," he said sarcastically and disbelievingly. "Well then, go to sleep."

Stella nodded once more and started to move towards the living room. Brandon raised an eyebrow and lunged forward to grab her wrist. "Excuse me, where are you going?" he asked with a narrowed look, already having a faint idea.

She innocently pointed towards the door. "I'll sleep on the floor." This answer took him by surprise. He was expecting the sofa in the living room but he so didn't expect her to sleep on the floor.

He took a deep breath, struggling his very best to not lose his cool. Honestly, she made him angrier than his mom did. "No, you'll sleep here," he ordered while tossing a look towards the other bed.

Her eyes widened in saucers. "W-What?"

"You're. Sleeping. On. The. Bed," he stated firmly. He pointed to the other bed which welcomed the blonde with pristine white sheets and thick comforters.

Stella uncomfortably fidgeted before slowly walking over to the bed. He kept his eyes on her until she sat on the bed before turning away and grabbing his suitcase. He pulled out his laptop before switching off the lamp on Stella's nightstand.

He frowned as he thought about earlier events. As if reading his mind, his phone pinged with a text. He took it from the nightstand before unlocking it. He smiled slightly when he saw that it was from his sister.

 _Where are you? :O :O_

He chuckled. Instead of replying, he called. She picked it up in less than one ring.

"Hey, Muse," he answered with a small smile.

"You sound oddly happy for someone who got kicked out," Musa snickered.

Brandon rolled his eyes. "I'm gonna ask dad to take care of my issue tomorrow."

"Perks of being rich. You lucky dork. Why didn't you take me with you?!"

The brunette chuckled at her bark. "You're the only way for me to know what's going on inside of the house," he answered while typing something into the laptop.

Musa laughed. "Well, that's easy. Mom's fuming and barking at the kitchen staff. Poor women. And dad's like right here. He's looking into a list of houses like you asked."

"Tell him I said thanks."

"You're welcome, son," Lucas smiled as he took the phone from Musa. "I'm not proud of what happened, but I am proud of you for standing up for yourself."

Brandon smiled. "You're not mad at me, dad?"

"If you put it that way, yes, I am. But there's nothing I can do to change your mother. She's just way too stubborn. By tomorrow, I'll find a suitable house. Is uh...is Stella with you?"

Brandon cast a surreptitious glance towards the bed where he saw her presumably sleeping. "Yeah, she is. I can't just leave her, dad."

"I know, son. Believe me, I know. Anyways, get a good night's rest. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, dad," Brandon smiled before hanging up.

He sighed before texting Sky about the new developments without giving too much away. Honestly, this was just too much drama. And Sky knew how to keep his mouth shut and stop any nasty rumors.

* * *

 **~ 1:30 AM ~**

Brandon yawned and shut his laptop down before moving to put it back into his suitcase. He had told Sky earlier to manage the office until notice. Brandon moved to lay back on the bed to get a good night's rest when a flash of yellow caught his eye.

Brandon turned to his left to see Stella sleeping silently on the furthest end of the other bed. His interest piqued as he slowly slipped from his own bed and tiptoed over to where she laid. He dragged a chair and sat in front of her, observing her silently.

There was no frown on her face nor the robotic expression she usually carried around. In fact, her face appeared tranquil and fresh. She slept on her stomach with her hands underneath her head. Brandon neutrally watched her sleep. She was beautiful to look at really but he somehow couldn't wipe the frown away from his face.

 _"...mostly be temporarily admitted to an institution for the psychologically unfit..."_

Brandon shut his eyes as the conversation with Nabu from weeks ago played in loop. Now Nabu's logic was slowly starting to make sense. But Brandon didn't have the heart to do that. Stella wasn't crazy or 'psychologically unfit'. She's just vulnerable. But...time can heal. Time has the greatest power to heal any wound.

 _"...all those years and Stella never stepped out of the house..."_

The brunette deeply frowned as he gazed at her.

 _"...I had to drop out of school."_

He didn't forget the look she had. It was a mixture of pain and hopelessness. She had no choice. Radius probably hit her too much that she eventually stopped going to school. The only thing was that she dropped out at the end of the year. So, people assumed that she transferred to another school and didn't bother questioning.

 _"...For crying out loud, the last picture we have of her is dated to over a decade ago..."_

That's another thing. Where was she all these years? What was she doing? It hurt his heart to know that she did nothing but do Radius's bidding.

 _"...has been abused for twelve years..."_

 _"...When people experience traumatic...for years...they're bound to go crazy..."_

She became so emotionally withdrawn. In fact, to see her still so sane was still a surprise to Brandon. Twelve years and she seemed psychologically _okay._

That is, _until_ her episode in the elevator.

He didn't really understand on the way up. He thought that she never saw an elevator before but then again, she's not really from the Ice Age. Then he deduced that she's terribly afraid of closed spaces. But he can't just toss her in an institution for the mentally unfit. She didn't deserve that.

He suddenly smiled when he remembered her voice.

 _"You're a good man."_

These words from her drove a jolt of electricity within him. He wanted to keep that trust she had on him. It was the first honest thing she ever said to him and to him, it really is precious.

 _Tomorrow,_ things will be different. He realized that the only way to make Stella forget all of those years is to...keep her happy. _Piece of cake._

 _..._

 _Hopefully._

 _..._

"Good night, Stella," he whispered with a small, caring smile before getting up from the chair.

* * *

 **~ The Next Morning - 8:30 AM ~**

Brandon groaned sleepily when he felt a repeated pressure on his shoulder. He blinked irritably. Seriously? He chooses to sleep peacefully for one night when he's being rudely awakened by something _again._

With a frustrated growl, he sharply pulled the blankets down from his face and sat up straight. "WHAT?!"

He heard a small gasp. Opening his eyes, he opened them to see Stella jump a foot back in shock. He blinked rapidly as he remembered the last night's events. "Oh. Sorry, were you waking me up?" he asked sleepily while raking a hand through his hair.

"Your phone has been ringing for a while now," she pointed to his nightstand. He groaned and turned towards the buzzing device and saw that it was Sky. He picked it up with a miffed sigh. "What...?!" he answered testily.

"...Dude, you're sleeping?!" Sky snarled. "You have a meeting in two hours, so you better get your ass here soon!"

"Sky, I told you I wouldn't be coming until further notice!" Brandon nearly shouted into the phone.

"Yeah, well, get your dad in here, you dimwit!" Sky barked into the phone.

Brandon's eyes widened as he bolted straight up. "Oh shoot. I forgot about that," he groaned while rubbing his face. "I'll be..." he trailed off soon when he saw Stella sitting silently in a chair. "Actually, I'll call you back." With that, he cut the call, ignoring Sky's protests.

Brandon stood up and yawned before going straight for the bathroom to freshen himself up.

Within minutes, he stepped out again after doing his everyday business. He rubbed his eyes a little sleepily, not at all wanting to go to work. He let out a tired sigh, wondering if he should just call it quits for today.

Making up his mind, he walked over to his bed and picked up his phone. He dialed his father's number and yawned while waiting for him to pick it up.

"Morning, son," Lucas greeted pleasantly.

Brandon rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Dad...I don't feel like going to work today. Can you fill in for me? I think I have about three meetings today."

"No worries. Check your email when you're free though. I sent you a list of properties that you can look at."

"Thanks, dad. You're the best!"

"I try," Lucas chuckled.

The two bid each other a good day before hanging up.

Brandon collapsed on his bed again, having no intention of leaving anywhere today. He honestly needed a vacation and a few days off.

Honestly, taking a week-long vacation sounds so much more fun than going to work and spending time with files. His father can fill in his place, so it's okay.

"Would you like some coffee?" a sudden voice interrupted him.

Brandon sat up slowly and saw Stella standing up before walking over to him. Oh...her face was so much more soothing to look at than the frustrating, boring files at work. "No, come here," he asked before patting the space beside him.

Stella blinked a few times before slowly stepping towards him. She sat beside him, feeling a little weird and different.

"...I'm going to look for a house for us to live. Do you want to stay here? Or will you come with me?"

Stella's eyes blinked with curiosity. "I don't mind either," she replied slowly while shaking her head.

"Then will you come? I'd like it if you did."

Stella turned to him with wide eyes. "You...would...?" she asked softly with confusion.

Brandon nodded, knowing that he wanted her with him today. In fact, he never felt lazy to go to work...until _today._ And he didn't need a brainiac's help to know that it was because of _her_.

"We can grab some breakfast and start looking," he smiled, hoping to her cajole her into joining him.

"Okay," she shrugged pleasantly.

"Great!" he grinned. "Get ready then," he told her.

"I already showered," she told him.

"Already?" he raised an eyebrow, earning a nod from her. "Okay then. Give me a few minutes," he told her. Stella nodded.

He smiled before standing up and moving towards his suitcase. He stopped when he felt a tug on his arm. Turning around, he saw Stella looking at him a little nervously.

"Um..." she started but trailed off hesitantly. "Never mind," she murmured before letting his hand go.

"No, no, tell me," he urged her before bending on his knee to her level. "Are you okay?"

"Can I...can I use your phone?" she requested in a low voice. Brandon's heart melted at her earnest and hopeful voice. She was so unsure of asking him for such a _measly_ thing while people in this world demand everything with greed.

"Of course you can," he smiled before handing the device to her. Her eyes lit up visibly as she took it from his hands. He continued to stare at her while she frowned after switching the phone on.

She turned the screen towards him which asked him for his security pattern. "Here," he turned the screen towards her and told her to look while he drew the pattern. The phone unlocked and showcased his home page.

"Thank you," she said softly as he nodded. He stood up before moving towards his suitcase. He wondered why she wanted it. Was she going to call someone to pick her up or something? He didn't particularly like the fact that she may want to get away from him.

But then again...it's _her_ life.

Brandon dismissed the notion before picking out casual wear and heading towards the bathroom.

Meanwhile, Stella traversed curiously in his phone before opening up the web browser. She typed something with bated breath and bit her lip at the address that popped up. Her eyes became even more vulnerable and fragile as she continued to glance at the address.

Brandon stepped out many minutes later, clad in dark jeans and a light blue polo shirt. He entered the bedroom while rolling his full sleeves till his elbows. He walked to the dress to don his watch on before addressing the blonde who sat quietly on his bed.

He started to set his hair before catching the forlorn expression on Stella's face in the mirror. Concerned, he turned around and approached her. "Stella? Are you okay?"

Stella looked up at him before staring at the phone again. "Can I ask for something...?" she asked in a quiet voice.

He hummed a yes before bending to her level. "Can you please take me here...?" she bit her lip while showing him the address on his phone.

Without feeling the need to look, he immediately spoke up. "Of course I will."

"Really? Today?" she asked hopefully.

"Really," he confirmed. "And yes. Today."

"Thank you...B-Brandon," Stella spoke with gratitude while her lips curved upwards into a small smile.

He nodded in reply, wondering why she wanted to go somewhere all of a sudden. After her panic attacks and vibrant displays of spaces barely twelve hours earlier, he thought she made it crystal clear that she'd prefer to be isolated.

 _Guess he was wrong._ And he didn't mind being wrong this time.

"Are you ready?" he asked while standing up and applying the finishing touches to his final look. He cast a surreptitious glance at her and observed her faded jeans and plain black, full-sleeved tee. He frowned but didn't comment. Those clothes looked really old and outdated.

The blonde nodded to his question earlier before standing up. She stopped before him before handing him his phone.

He took it, along with the room's key card and his wallet. "C'mon," he hummed before they stepped out into the hallway again.

Brandon's eyes widened when he realized that they _have_ to take the elevator. They were eighteen floors up. Walking down the stairwells is going to take just about forever.

Turning around in the room again, he opened it with the magnetic strip of the key before pushing her inside.

She stared at him bewildered as they both tumbled inside of the room again.

"Alright. Stella, we're gonna have to take the elevator," he pointed to her.

Her eyes widened. "W-What?"

He rolled his eyes. "We have to take the elevator. We're literally on the eighteenth floor."

She blinked. "Can I take the stairs...?"

"What about when you have to climb up again? Are you really going to climb eighteen flights of stairs? It's not as easy as it sounds," he pointed. While it was considerably easier for him, he didn't think she was as athletic and fit as he is. It would strain him as well.

"Um...okay..." she replied sadly before staring at the floor.

His eyes dimmed at her distressed eyes. He neared her before placing a hand on her shoulder as a form of comfort. "Why are you scared of an elevator...?" he asked softly.

"It...It reminds me of...of..." she trailed off sadly while tears brewed in her golden brown eyes.

"Tell me," he gently coaxed her. Seeing her upset made his heart cringe, but he just _had_ to know what she went through. He needed to know the specific extent of her abuse, so he can provide her the best care, love, and comfort she truly needed and deserved.

"Whenever I messed up really badly, he threw me in this dark attic," she sniffled while using her hands to gesture the size of the attic. It was practically a matchbox.

His eyes widened as she revealed the reason behind her recoils yesterday. His face turned dark with fury at the disgusting insect of her so-called father. How can one have the heart to harm and break an innocent child?!

"Please. Don't cry, Stella," he gently comforted her and hugged her to himself. She started to sob into his chest and it only broke his heart further.

"You need to be stronger than this," he tenderly commanded. "By being upset and crying, you're still letting your father win."

She sniffled at his words as he pulled back from her and slowly wiped away the tears that stained her porcelain cheeks.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. I will _never_ hurt you and I will _never_ dream of doing something sadistic to you. I'll _never_ let anyone or anything hurt you either."

She seemed to believe him, seeing that she stopped crying.

"Forget what happened and just take my lead," he offered her his hand. She stared at him for a long moment before slowly reaching for it.

Encasing her small hand into his larger one, he grasped it firmly before intertwining his fingers with hers. They both stepped into the carpeted corridor once again before moving towards the elevator.

Stella's stance grew rigid and stiff as they approached the bend.

They halted before the doors before Brandon hit the 'down' button. Even though it was a good number of seconds before the doors chimed open, it felt like the shortest time ever to her.

Stella started to shake as she stepped into the elevator which didn't go unnoticed. He pressed to go to the first floor before the doors shut close. She let out a frightened squeak and started to hyperventilate.

"Stella, it's okay," he told her firmly while turning her to him. He tugged on her wrist and pulled her into an embrace, feeling her trembling and sniffling against his chest. Stella whimpered when her face brushed into his chest. His chest was filled with warmth as he wrapped his arms around in concern. She honestly didn't understand why he even cared for someone like her.

"It's okay. You're safe," he repeated over and over near her ear. He admitted that he really loved touching her. Hugging her felt so right and genuine that he started to look for excuses to do it again and again.

He hated the way she trembled and quivered with fear in his arms. She was too beautiful and undeserving for this.

His gaze from her ruptured when the elevator slowed down. He looked up to see that it stopped on the twelfth floor. Someone must be getting on. He could hear loud voices on the other end.

The doors opened and a loud, bubbly family of five entered in with outrageous laughter. Brandon's eyes widened when Stella only shook further in his arms. He held her firmly against him and gently spoke to her. "See? Nothing happened," he whispered as to not get the attention of the unsuspecting family. Two adults and three teenagers were laughing at something he didn't really care about but they were all dressed as if they're going to the pool.

Stella's eyes blinked a few times at the people in this narrow space. Another person and she'll scream. She unconsciously raised her hands and clutched Brandon's shirt tighter.

After what felt like a complete eternity, the elevator slowed down to a smooth stop at the first floor.

The young adults waited until the family got down and went a good distance away before slowly stepping out. Brandon finally let Stella go and lifted her face. "Are you okay?"

She started to breathe normally once again and he could see the immense relief clearly radiating from her eyes.

"See. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he smiled while patting her back.

She stared at him incredulously. She honestly felt like she was gonna die in there! Nonetheless, she nodded.

* * *

 _ **An hour later...**_

The two had a continental, buffet breakfast that's usually served in hotels till a certain time in the morning.

They sat at a table on opposite sides of each other. Brandon couldn't get over how awed and surprised as she ate the food with peace. Obviously, he knew that she did eat that stuff before.

But...she always had a threat behind her back and could never eat in peace. But not today and not the days that will come after.

He initially led them to a secluded table before sitting down and eating quietly. They didn't talk much, much to his disappointment.

 _Baby steps,_ _I suppose,_ he thought with a shrug.

After they're done, they instantly went for the houses that Brandon's father recommended.

After a while, Brandon pulled up in front of a penthouse accompanied by a real estate manager. He told Stella to get out of the car before parking it properly.

He switched off the ignition and leapt out.

Stella blinked in surprise at the size of the house. This is practically a mansion! Why would two people need something that was ten thousand times their size?! It was a little too much, in her opinion, but maybe it's because she grew up as a total recluse.

"So, this is a new house?" Brandon asked the realtor with interest.

"Yes! It's one of the newest models out in the market and there are, of course, plenty of others if you're not satisfied with this one," the realtor grinned widely, obviously hyped that he found a rich party. "You're more than welcome to take a look around. It's not furnished though."

Brandon nodded before marching up the steps. That's when he realized that Stella wasn't following him. Sighing, he shook his head. She was still standing on the lawn like a total idiot. _Honestly, why am I so surprised?_ he shook his head. "Stella!" he called before waving for her to come with him.

Her eyes widened at the call of her name before she started to run towards him. He watched with amusement as she ran faster towards him. _If only it was under different circumstances,_ he casually thought. He didn't deny it anymore. He liked Stella. But he didn't know if it was sympathy he felt for her or genuine affection. Hopefully, time will reveal everything.

"Yes?" she asked while letting out short, fast-paced gasps.

He shook his head. "What're you doing over there, dimwit? Aren't you going to look around?" he chuckled while urging her to get inside.

Stella stared at him with hesitance. "But...why? It's your house. I'm okay with whatever you take."

He took a deep breath at the dense block of ice before him. Aren't girls supposed to be at least a _little_ perceptive of such things? Can't she tell that he maybe, sort of _liked_ her?!

Hell, he even kissed her _twice! TWICE!_ And that too, _yesterday! Freaking yesterday!_ How could she just forget about them like that while he's here craving for more?! He didn't know if he or she was the idiot here. _._

"I know you are," he shook his head in disappointment, wondering why he even tried for her attention. She didn't even care for him other than following him around and obeying his orders like a puppy. "You'll be living here too. So I want you to like it as well," he smiled.

Her eyes widened. "You do...?" she asked in confusion.

"Yes. I do. Now, off you go," he shooed her inside while following her.

The house was completely empty and devoid of any furniture. It was two-storied, not counting the attic or basement, and came with a pool, jacuzzi, gazebo, and other recreational amenities. It was pretty decent and all but for some reason, Brandon didn't really like it.

He checked the master bedroom while Stella casually looked around the kitchen.

Brandon frowned for a moment before coming back downstairs to find Stella. After looking around in a few rooms, he found her, unsurprisingly, in the kitchen. _Classic of her,_ he chuckled.

"So...what do you think?" he asked her.

"It's your choice," she told him sweetly.

"I'm asking for an opinion, Stella," he sighed. He cocked an eyebrow and silently told her to voice her honest opinion.

After debating for a few seconds, she spoke up. "Um...I don't...like it...?" she replied nervously with honesty.

He raised an amused eyebrow, obviously surprised. "Heh. Neither do I," he chuckled. "Why don't you like it though?"

"I think...um...I think a house should have really good lighting," she told him softly. "And this house is really dark."

 _So she likes the sun too,_ he observed. That's quite ironic, considering she's really uncomfortable in the open spaces and in public.

"Then why the hell are we still here?" he chuckled. "C'mon, let's go and look for some more."

Stella followed him outside where Brandon told the realtor that they'd like to see a few more choices.

* * *

 _ **Hours later...**_

The two returned back to the hotel after finalizing one house. It was urgent and a pretty quick progress for one day but it felt like it was the right one.

It was a beautiful home and the reason Brandon liked it at first glance was because the house had ample ventilation for sunlight to enter in. He loved the outdoors in general, so he can't stand a house that's dark and dull even during daytime. Even Stella told him that she liked it. Without further delay, he told the realtor that he'd take it and also urged him to get started on the paperwork for the house.

Brandon relaxed back on his bed, whipped from today's sightseeing. He arched his back against the head of the bed before relaxing and sinking further into the plush mattress. Hotels did really have some of the best mattresses. He took out his laptop to relax and turn in for the night while waiting for Stella, who seemed to be completed with her shower.

He smiled to himself and ignored the giddy grin inside of him. Despite tirelessly searching for a house, he was quite happy with the day.

Literally. He was. He felt free and almost...lighthearted for some reason, but it didn't take a brainer that the source of his new feelings was Stella.

Of all the two weeks he's been wordlessly trying to make contact with her, she _finally_ acknowledged his presence and spoke to him!

It must be his old house and his mother. Stella wouldn't make eye contact with anyone in there. _At least one good thing happened from getting kicked out,_ he chuckled to himself.

He didn't really understand why he gave _such_ an importance to the blonde, but for some reason, he didn't mind. He wanted to give her special attention. A part of him felt sorry for her and the other part craved to unravel the hidden mysteries behind this girl.

He looked up from the bright screen of his computer when the door to the bathroom unlocked and Stella stepped out. She came out slowly while smoothing her fully-covering pajamas. He involuntarily kept his eyes on her as she combed her hair with her fingers before tossing it into a low ponytail.

 _Wow,_ he breathed with restrain. He honestly can't get over how stunning she is. _Doesn't the idiot realize it?_ he shook his head with incredulity. She looked so simple, _so basic._ Her outfit was barely noticeable, but something was her _overall_ appearance just...

It took his breath away. _She_ took his breath away.

She finally looked up and he instantly snapped his eyes away from her, not wanting to be embarrassed at getting caught red-handed.

He quietly noticed her walking up to her bed before sitting cross-legged on it quietly.

He frowned. Somehow, she's been really silent since they had gotten back to the hotel. And he wondered why that's a big shocker.

As ironic and strange that sounds...she _was_ quieter than normal.

"Stella?" he called.

She turned to him mutely before moving to hop off the bed. He raised his hand to stop her, indicating for her to sit back down. "Are you okay?" he asked.

The blonde nodded before resuming her cross-legged position again.

"You sure...?" he asked again.

She nodded once more while staring at her lap quietly.

For some reason, he just _snapped_ at her a shrug, he turned back to his laptop, feeling irritated and slightly angered by her mute responses.

If she didn't want to talk, then so be it. Why was he wasting his time on someone who wouldn't even look him in the eye?! _I can do so much better,_ he scoffed.

His body heated with irritation while typing something furiously into his computer. Maybe he was paying too much attention to the blonde. _FINE,_ he snapped to himself. "If she wants to be that way, then why do I have to give a flippin' care about her?!" he muttered irritably to himself.

There's only so much he can do. He's a human too! He's been extremely patient with her and had been trying to get her to _open up_ but if she wants to be stubborn as hell, by all means, go right ahead!

 _Be my guest,_ he scoffed.

* * *

 **~ The Next Morning - 7:00 AM ~**

The next morning, Stella was up way before him as usual but was silent. He got up, got dressed, and readied himself, but still...not a _peep_ emerged from her. He might as well just change in the goddamn room. He's been changing in the bathroom because of her, but he might as well just do it here. She's been acting non-existent anyway.

"I'm heading to work but I'll see you in a few hours," he informed her with a little irritation in his tone. He wasn't too pleased with this girl right now. She's _SOOOOO_ disrespectful! Well, he's not going to worry about her and think about her other than for a decent formal courtesy from now on.

There was no peep from her ( _again,_ not really that surprising this time) but from his peripheral vision, he could see a nod from her. She was sitting in a chair, but her body was stiff and she was staring gloomily into her lap.

 _Would it kill her to give him a decent reply?_

He shook his head at her depression. He honestly didn't understand why on earth she was having mood swings out of the blue. It was ridiculous!

A part of him wished to _YELL_ the hell on her and tell her to get a freaking life and stop living in the past, but another part of him still gave a damn about her feelings. A tiny part of him regretted bringing her out of the house. He should've just told Musa or somebody to keep an eye on her and left the house on his own.

No offense to her, but she wasn't really good company when it came to certain hours of the day. She made him uncomfortable and cautious of himself. He knew he was berating her because of his own temperaments, but it was her own fault.

 _Stupid airhead,_ he muttered to himself before grabbing his things and his briefcase.

Stella stood up as he turned to leave before following him till the door.

"Be careful and stay safe," he told her a little carelessly. He turned around to glance at her once more but stopped for a second. There was an unmistakable amount of sadness visible in her eyes, _even more so_ than usual and that scared him.

Brushing it off as possibly nothing, he turned around to leave.

 _Who knew that would turn out to be one of his biggest mistakes?_

* * *

 **~ Shields' Conglomerates - 8:30 AM ~**

Sky barged in uninvited and glared unhappily at his friend/boss. "Brandon, where the heck have you been, dude?!" he nearly shouted.

Brandon sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Why? What's wrong?" he asked dryly.

"The land that Radius sold to us! If we don't get his daughter's signature, then we go to hell!" Sky demanded. "Did you get it signed?!"

"Why will we go to hell?" Brandon yawned and crossed his leg over the other, obviously not feeling the mood to do anything today. "He sold it. We brought it. End of story."

Sky stared at him like he was crazy. "It's not his to sell and it's not ours to keep," he snapped. "If that girl someday files a case against us in court and demands her property back, then we'll have to give it. What're we going to do if the site is fully developed?! Our company is going to sued as hell and we'll facing a public scandal in the form of a lawsuit!"

"Okay, fine! I get it!" Brandon interrupted sternly. "I'll work on it!"

"You better," Sky replied with a frown. "The faster you do it, the faster we can proceed on our plans."

Brandon nodded before he pulled out a drawer in his desk. He sighed as he took the first stack of papers.

A frown seeped into his features as he stared at the words that would hand over Stella's legal property to him with one signature. _But what if she doesn't want to?_ he thought while staring at the documents.

* * *

 _ **Meanwhile, back at the hotel room...**_

Stella took a deep breath as she paced around the suite hastily. She bit her lip as her heart constricted with pain and fear, but...this was just something that she _had_ to do.

She waited _far too long_ for an opportunity like this.

She looked around the lone room, trying to get her breathing in check. There was nothing of interest here to her, so there was no reason on why she couldn't do this. The timing is perfect! Brandon wouldn't be back until a few hours later.

Making up her mind, Stella took a deep breath before going to the front door. She bit her lip as she turned the handle and pulled the door open before stepping out before she could have the time to regret her move.

She let out a few deep breaths before peeking around. _Good._ No people around.

She went down the hallway, continuing to peep and peek cautiously around her surroundings. She stopped near the bend where the elevator was before staring at it in complete fear. She blinked rapidly out of trepidation and dread before starting to back up immediately. She turned around sharply before trying to calm her breaths down.

With a few, fast-paced breaths, she walked forward towards the end of the hallway before opening the doorway to the stairs. There was no way that she can take an elevator.

In moments, she disappeared behind the exit before going down the stairs.

* * *

 _ **Many hours later...**_

 **~ The Same Hotel - 6:30 PM ~**

He unlocked the room with the key card before stepping inside. He set his bag down and casually looked around the room for a sign of the blonde. Interestingly enough, she wasn't anywhere within his line of sight. He went further inside of the suite into the bedroom. "Stella?" he called out before turning towards the bathroom. "Maybe she's in there," he sighed in relief.

He went to the bathroom and moved to knock on the door but stopped when he saw that it was partially open. "Stella? Are you inside?" he called while knocking on the door. He frowned at the silence before he slowly pushed the door open.

She wasn't in there.

His eyes narrowed as he searched the suite again even though it wasn't that big. He dropped his bag and other office-related stuff in a corner before taking the room key and going out of the room.

He jogged to the elevator before impatiently heading to the lobby again. The elevator couldn't head down any slower. _I should've been back sooner,_ he chided himself as anxiety squeezed the walls of his heart.

"Where is she?!" he panicked under his breath while walking quickly around the hotel's amenities.

He checked the pool, the laundromat, the lobby, the bar (even though he's pretty sure he'll kill her if he saw her in here), and other public facilities. Remembering her panic attack last night, he even climbed the eighteen freaking flights of _stairs_ on his way up!

He panted as he reached the top and loosened his tie when slick sweat started to form on his body, wetting his formal shirt. But that was the least of his problems right now.

 _Where_ was this girl?!

He checked the room once more in case she's back, but to his severe disappointment, she still wasn't there. It was official.

Stella wasn't in the hotel.

"Then where could she have gone?" he sighed in paranoia.

His eyes lit up suddenly when a light bulb went off in his head. His eyes gleamed with a newfound hope at his own suggestion. "Maybe she went to her old house?!" he grinned before grabbing his car keys, wallet, and phone before running out of the room again.

He honestly had _NO_ clue why on earth she would go to that hellhole. Did she even know _how_ to go there? Whatever. Searching anyway was worth a try.

* * *

He knocked on the door loudly. "STELLA!" he shouted in panic before going around the house. The keys to the house aren't with him. They were somewhere in a file that included the documents which proved that he was the legal guardian of Stella. And that file is at home in his room. Seeing that they got kicked out less than forty-eight hours ago, Stella couldn't have had possession of the keys either.

He sprinted back to his car and hopped inside. "Where could she be?!" he growled to himself below slamming the steering wheel out of sheer frustration.

Without further adieu, he pulled out of the driveway and swerved a little aggressively onto the streets.

Many minutes later, he turned up at the hotel again, hoping that she probably came back from wherever the hell she went to.

He hurriedly parked his car before going inside. Another thin film of sweat threatened to break out onto his face as he waited at the elevator. Every second of wait seemed like an eternity. After a few forevers, the elevator dinged and he went in. His fingers slammed on the eighteenth floor. He impatiently tapped his fingers on the metal rod around the elevator.

* * *

A few minutes later, he entered the room with a dull, helpless sigh. He collapsed on one of the couches in the living room, hopeless on what to do. He put his head into his hands, wondering where she could've went.

A knock on the door suddenly interrupted him and his eyes widened happily. "Oh thank god!" he exclaimed in relief. His feet couldn't have moved faster towards the door. He practically flew to open the door. He twisted the handle before opening the door.

But his wide grin faded into a small frown as he viewed the persons on opposite side of the door.

There were two police officers standing in their uniforms staring at him a little sternly.

"Brandon Shields?"

Brandon's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yes...?" he replied in confusion.

"Good evening. I'm Officer Williams and this is Officer Hunt," Williams greeted before they both pulled out their respective badges. "We need to ask you a few questions."

"Uh...sure," Brandon nodded hesitantly before moving sideways to let them in.

They sat in the living room of the suite. Brandon sighed and prayed for this (whatever this is) to be over quickly.

"You seemed a little disappointed to see us as if you're expecting somebody else," one of the officers observed casually.

"Yes, actually," Brandon replied with a sigh.

"Mr. Shields," Williams addressed.

 _"Dr._ Shields," Brandon corrected politely before answering their question. First of all, it would be _REALLY_ nice if policemen acknowledged his stature. And second...the only people that he'll prefer being called as a 'Mr. Shields' are the ones that are actually very close to him like Faragonda, for example. He didn't mind if that was the case.

The policemen nodded before Hunt spoke. "Our apologies."

"So, we're curious to know. Why are you suddenly living in a hotel when you have a perfectly good house fifteen miles away?"

Brandon sighed. "Um...that's a little personal, but I moved out of my house about two days ago."

They nodded. "Okay. Any particular reason? And are you staying here alone?"

"I'm twenty-six years old, officers. I wanted a place of my own. This is just a temporary residence," Brandon explained while gesturing to the suite. "And no, I'm not," he answered the second question.

They seemed a little less interested with his reason and more curious on why he's not alone. They also made little notes here and there as the brunette explained.

"Who are you staying with?"

The brunette's eyes unconsciously lit up which did not go unobserved by the two policemen. "Stella," Brandon breathed hopefully. "Stella Solaria." _Do they know her?! Is that why they're here?!_ he started to get visibly excited.

"How is she related to you, Dr. Shields?"

"I'm her legal guardian," Brandon answered instantly, hoping against hope that at least _they_ know where she is right now.

"Yes, we're aware of the recent update about you. But why? Why are you her guardian? She's obviously an adult," Hunt narrowed his eyes curiously.

Brandon sighed a little uneasily. Obviously, it wasn't a colorful backstory. With difficulty, he explained what happened as briefly as possible without trying to fidget too much.

"So...you pretended to buy her...in order to save her...?"

Brandon shrugged. "You can say that." He put his head into his hands worriedly. "She's not here. I don't know where she went and I'm really worried."

Williams and Hunt looked at each other before they stood up. "...Dr. Shields, you'll need to come to the station with us," Hunt informed.

* * *

 **~ New York City Police Department - 7:15 PM ~**

Brandon's eyes widened as he stumbled in front of a caged room in total panic and hurry. Apparently, the blonde was inside this room and she's been here for about an hour or two now. The police officers told him sternly that she hasn't answered any of their questions so far. Since she got here, she's been terrified unreasonably of them and started to cry immediately when they neared three feet anywhere within her area.

The two security officers in front of him glanced at him sternly before opening the door for him. The brunette thanked them curtly with haste before rushing inside.

He didn't know if his heart stopped or started to race too fast for him to register when he saw the blonde sitting in a chair in the middle of the room like some kind of _criminal_. Her eyes were producing endless tears. She looked up at the noise as he entered and their eyes locked. He stared at her unblinkingly. There was a table in the middle of the room and...

Stella's hand was _handcuffed_ to it.

She stood up slowly as his feet moved.

"Stella!" he breathed in immense relief.

Brandon looked around the room she's been stuck in for the past two hours. The walls were a dull grey and nothing else adorned it. But he was pretty sure that were invisible cameras lying around, observing their moments. But he didn't care for any of that. His cause of worry and panic was sitting right there in front of him, less than twenty feet away. He remembered that she had a terrible case of claustrophobia. She must be so terrified right now.

His panic turned to relief slowly, but his demeanour changed to that of anger instantly when he remembered what he had to go through to find her whereabouts. He turned back to her again and fell raw anger course through him. His eyes furiously narrowed at her as he clenched his fist tightly.

He approached her slowly before observing her fatigued and tired face. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" he finally asked with a dark glare blazing in his eyes, not really caring about the fact that they were both in a police precinct. "Are you insane?!"

"What were you thinking?!" he asked incredulously in concern. Grabbing her shoulders, he addressed her firmly, " _Where_ did you go?!"

Stella sniffled as she looked up at him with beady, amber-brown eyes.

"Answer me, dammit! Where the hell were you?!" he snapped. "And _WHY_ wouldn't you answer anyone's questions!?"

She bit her lip before taking out a slip of crumpled paper from the pocket of her jeans. "Here," she whispered in a small, scared voice, answering his first question.

He glared at the random address. That wasn't quite what he asked. He snatched the paper before crumpled it into a small ball. Chucking it aside, he glared viciously. "What the hell is here?! What is here that's worth you nearly landing in jail?!"

She sniffled. "...My mom."

Brandon's voice fell speechlessly as his grip on her slackened instantly into a dull hold. He stared down at her, who was beyond heartbroken. Pain reflected back from her eyes.

 _A graveyard,_ his subconscious answered for him mechanically, remembering that her mother passed away a long time ago.

 _Was this the address where she wanted me to take her yesterday?_ he blinked in shock as he stared at her.

He fell speechlessly as a wall of guilt slammed into his conscious. He froze on the spot while trying to catch his momentarily stopped breath.

He promised. He promised her that he'll take her there yesterday, but they've been looking for a decent house all day that he forgot. And...he was tired too. _That was why she was so quiet,_ he diagnosed, realization finally dawning on him. He raked a hand through his hair, frustrated with himself as he pieced all of that together.

Without another word, he let her go and encircled his arms around her instantly as she immediately broke down and cried into his chest. "Shhh, I'm so sorry," he told her gently. "I'm so sorry," he repeated while glaring at himself in disgust. _How dare he?!_

"Please don't cry, Stella," he pleaded and tenderly held her against him. "I'm so, so, so sorry."

"I'm so sorry," he whispered while pulling her back and gently cupping her face. Holding her like this...it just felt _so_ right.

"Why would you go out alone?" he asked, fire still blazing in his eyes. "Didn't you know how worried I was?"

"I...I...I didn't want to burden you more than I already have," she hiccuped with a sniffle.

His eyes softened immensely at her foolish concern for him. His thumbs stroked her cheeks while wiping away her hot tears. "Silly girl, why would you ever be a burden to me?" he whispered with care while hugging her back again.

"I'm sorry, Brandon," she cried into his chest.

He rubbed her back before patting her hair. "Calm down. Don't worry, you're safe now," he shushed her. "Just let me go and take care of this, okay?"

"B-But—"

"I said I'll take care of this," he reassured her. "It's not safe for you to go out like that. What if you ran into some muggers or goons? How would you even defend yourself?" he chided her.

"What would you have done if the police didn't bring you here? It's a blessing that you're here and not anywhere else," he told her sternly. He had been freaking out ever since he realized that she just poofed out of the hotel without a word. She had no phone and no money with her, so exactly HOW the hell was he supposed to find her?!

He went to the old house she grew up in but _no_. It had been empty ever since Radius was arrested. And he particularly had no intention to let her go back there. That house was a monster to her and didn't protect her when she needed comfort and love. And he _hated_ that house. If it was up to him, he'd demolish it right away without regret.

"When you want to go somewhere the next time, you let _me_ know," he warned her while shaking his index finger up and down at her as if to emphasize his point.

She nodded. "I will." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes.

He smiled. "There. Now stop crying or the police will arrest me, thinking I'm the villain here," he chuckled while trying to lighten up the situation.

She sniffled and nodded.

"Alright," he breathed and let her go. "Stay here and I'll be back in a few."

* * *

 _ **In the next two hours...**_

"Dr. Shields, Ms. Solaria will have to remain in our custody. Her suspicious behavior around citizens is quite alarming."

"Please. This won't happen again—"

"And how can you guarantee that?" they drilled sternly. "How can you prevent her from going out into the public?"

"With all due respect, she's _not_ dangerous," Brandon said defensively. "She's vulnerable and a _VICTIM_ of intense domestic abuse. She _IS_ getting better. Throwing her in an asylum is going to destroy her and I can't let that happen to her!"

"We advise you to be calm," they said with stern caution.

Brandon sighed. "I apologize. But, she's not dangerous. She wanted to visit her mother and she's extremely anti-social. She's not suffering from trauma or insanity. I plead to take responsibility for her from now on and I will make sure that this doesn't repeat again until she's better."

The police continued to interrogate Brandon about two adults' relationship. He showed them the scanned copies of the appropriate documentation of how he was a legal guardian to the blonde and that it was all just a misunderstanding. The officers didn't understand what to make of Stella since she hasn't been spotted anywhere in the country for the last decade.

As if trying to prove their point, the policemen showed him the footage near a few traffic lights.

Brandon's eyes widened as he stared at the screen unblinkingly. Stella looked terrified at some points and there were videos of her running around like a loon, barely being able to suppress a panicked scream. Her behavior was erratic and people dodged out of her way in panic.

Obviously, people _will_ be terrified as hell and thus, they called the police.

His jaw nearly dropped open as his eyes remained fixated on the screen. Even though the cameras were a little far away from her, the fear on her face was clear as crystal.

After drilling for a long time, the officers let the brunette call Nabu as a verified witness and two hours later, they let the adults go, provided that they take care from the next time.

* * *

 **~ Hotel Room - 11:30 PM ~**

Brandon locked the door behind him while Stella watched him. "Phew," he breathed in relief. "I'm so glad that's over with," he sighed out of relief before removing his suit jacket and tossing it on the coat hanger.

He saw Stella, who didn't make even a single peep but was staring at him with lost eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?" he gently nudged her.

"I'm sorry, Brandon," she sniffled. "I won't go anywhere again."

He raised an eyebrow and breathed, trying to calm himself at her insinuations. Her innocence is endearing sometimes, but other times, he wanted to slap it out of her and yell at her to wake the hell up. Brandon shook his head and patted her head softly. "Stella, that isn't the way, okay? You _are_ allowed to go out but not alone. Not yet anyway. I don't trust you when you're alone outside. I was constantly scared today because I kept thinking of the worst."

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. This was just too much for one day and he needed a breather. After a hectic day at work and at least one hour of relentless searching and another two hours of police station formalities, he was beat. He was tired. He's more than ready to call it a night.

"You didn't eat anything all day, did you?" he narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"I'm not hungry," she murmured.

He shook his head before walking up to her again. "I don't care. When you're with me, you _WILL_ eat, whether you like it or not," he gently warned her.

"I'm sorry," she sniffled while innocently looking up at him with big, baby brown eyes. His breath hitched at their proximity. _How could anyone be so damn beautiful?!_ he breathed in wonder. Despite the tears, she was stunning. Her face looked healthy and youthful but a bright red and swollen from incessant crying.

Shaking his head to exercise some control, he replied to her, "I'm just happy to see you safe," he murmured sincerely. He didn't know what he would've done if anything had happened to her.

"But...aren't you angry? I wasted your time—"

Unable to resist, he let out a deep sigh. "Then don't repeat it again. Wherever you want to go, just let me know and I'll take you there. Don't just run away again. Okay?"

She nodded. He paused for a few seconds before asking. "Do you want to go to your mom tomorrow?" he asked softly.

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers immediately. "Can I?" she asked back.

"Well, just be ready by the time I come back from work. I'll be back sometime around eleven in the morning and I'll take you. Then, we'll have something to eat on the way."

A tearful, but happy smile broke out on her face. "Thank you!" she nodded with a sniffle.

His eyes widened when she, for the first time, suddenly, out of nowhere, threw her arms around him. Her slender arms hugged him almost tightly. He probably gave her a thousand hugs by now but she never really reciprocated any of them. He'd feel awkward as hell but he couldn't help it. Holding her felt so right and so soothing. She would fit perfectly in his arms and her touch would be soft as velvet. He enjoyed it so much that he'd pathetically start looking around for just about any reason to hug her.

He felt his breath knocked out of his chest at the sudden, unexpected force. He wound his arms around her gently before letting her tears soak his shirt. "I'm here for you," he whispered before patting her hair.

* * *

 **~ The Next Afternoon - 12:50 PM ~**

As she stared at her mother's grave in disbelief, tears fell faster from Stella's cheeks. Her legs tumbled as they gave away. She slumped into the dirty, mossy floor while her eyes messily watered.

The grave was a mess, covered with leaves, moss, kudzu, and other flora growing everywhere around unkempt.

"Mom..." she sobbed while reaching up to touch the cold stone.

...

Brandon watched her from many meters, wanting to give her some privacy. He sighed before crossing his arms. He couldn't imagine what that must be like. He frowned as he watched her say something that he couldn't quite hear. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her body started to shake. He wondered if he should intervene but...a part of him forced him to keep his feet rooted.

He figured that he should let her just cry her heart out even though it broke his heart. She had _years_ of bottled pain inside and she should have a chance to let it all out. She lost her mother at a tender age and had to then move with the devil himself.

He closed his eyes with a frown when he imagined Radius slapping Stella. That hideous sound echoed in his ears and his eyes immediately jolted open. He glanced towards Stella and saw that she was still incessantly crying. Her body was shaking and she looked like she was on the verge of collapse.

Deciding that she cried enough for today, his feet instantly moved towards her in concern.

He stopped just behind her before falling to his knees as well. "Stella?" he softly said before placing a hand on her shoulders.

She jumped slightly before turning around to see him.

He cast her a comforting look, unable to do anything else. How was he supposed to remove the pain from her heart? How was he supposed to repair her? _How?_ She looked like a total mess.

He pulled her into a gentle hug and let her cry in his arms. She gripped his shirt unconsciously while she sobbed. He took a deep breath before letting his lips hover near her ear. "Let it out and...let go," he softly said. _Let everything go...,_ he finished while sadly staring at her.

* * *

 _ **A few hours later...**_

They came back to the hotel. Stella politely turned his offer down to grab something to eat and frankly, he expected it. He took her back, figuring that she needs to just rest for a day or two before hopefully...deciding to just let everything go.

He sat in the bedroom, whereas Stella sat in the living room where a wall separated them both.

He stole glances at her every once in a while, just to see how she's doing. She didn't cry anymore but occasional sniffles and tears did escape from her eyelids. She always looked deep in thought as she sat motionlessly.

He sighed before standing up from his bed and going over to the entrance of the living room. There wasn't a door or anything like that.

He cleared his throat and knocked on the wall with his knuckles which seemed to get her attention. She jumped and sat up startled before looking at him with wide eyes.

"Sorry," he raised his hands up in surrender. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly while leaning against the wall.

She looked up at him for a long moment before lifting herself off the couch. She slowly walked over to him before halting still just a foot before him.

"Thank you," she whispered as her tears leaked endlessly. "Thank you. I'll never be able to repay you. Thank you so much," she sniffled while moving closer and wrapping her arms around his torso. He froze for a second as she sniffled in his arms.

He hugged her back gently. "You don't have to thank me, Stella. It's nothing," he told her with a gentle smile.

"No...it's _everything_ to me," she cried silently. "I've never been this happy ever in my life," she sniffled.

"Are you really that happy?" he asked softly as he pulled back.

She nodded while wiping her tears away. "Thank you," she told him repeatedly with a sad, yet grateful smile.

"Anytime," he smiled back.

"Thank you for rescuing me. I know I never said that, but no words can ever express what I feel," she sniffled. "You didn't have to, yet-"

"...I did. I had to do it," he cut her off with an unreadable emotion. She stared up at him, continuing to captivate him and letting him see specks of her true self.

* * *

 _ **Almost a week later...**_

Brandon and Stella finally moved into the new house. The move was officially complete with all the necessary documentation and legal authorization.

The two checked out of the hotel before Brandon drove them up to the new villa. It was a beautiful house with a summer-green, neatly trimmed lawn in the front, along with a spacious backyard. The backyard accompanied a pool that was not only pleasing to swim in but also one that held aesthetic features like naturalistic waterfalls and decorative, reflective tiles.

The house itself had an urban, yet vintage touch to it as it brightly gleamed spotlessly in the sun. It was a pastel white in color with a cozy atmosphere on the inside.

It was furnished with the most basic necessities such as food, water, current, etc.

Parking the car in the garage, the two stepped out. Brandon went around the back to get their luggage out while Stella followed him inside.

"Woo!" he sighed as he stepped inside, followed by the blonde. "Home, sweet home!" he greeted the silence while Stella looked around the barely furnished house. Velvet curtains framed the windows. The inner curtains remained drawn, allowing sunlight to flood the room while rendering the beautiful view over the ocean in the distance. The rest of the house wasn't too furnished except for random chairs and couches here and there.

"...Do you think we should go shopping?" Brandon asked while frowning at the silent house. It felt so desolate but then again, it was pretty new.

Stella blinked, wondering why he was asking her.

Setting their luggage down, Brandon sighed as he made his way inside and looked around. "Stella," he called.

She immediately responded, "Yes?" Walking up to him, she asked. "Are you hungry? I'll check the kitchen—"

Brandon face-palmed before grabbing her arm. "Is feeding people all you ever think about?" he huffed. "Anyways. Go inside and pick a room for yourself."

Her eyes widened. "What?! A room?!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Uh yeah? Where else will you sleep?"

"But..." she looked around hesitantly. This place was just way too rich and luxurious for her. Hogging up a whole room is definitely not necessary!

"Stella, no buts, please," he asked tiredly while rubbing his forehead. "You're tired and frankly, so am I," he sighed.

"Okay. Um...that one," the blonde pointed to a random room far into the hallway past the living room.

He chuckled and shook his head at her quick reply. "Well, I'm heading upstairs. Good night."

"Good night," she replied.

* * *

 _ **A short while later...**_

Stella stood at the bottom of the stairs, debating on whether or not to go up. After a few minutes of stupidly standing around, she made a courageous decision for the second time ever in her entire life. The first time was literally breaking out of a hotel to go see her late mother.

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, she blinked rapidly at the long hallway that broke out into a number of rooms. The doors were closed. She wondered which room he's in before seeing bright light underneath one of the room doors. Smiling faintly, she walked towards the room.

She took a deep breath before curling her hand into a loose fist and knocking on the door.

Brandon's eyes widened to hear a small knock from the other side of his room. He instantly bolted up straight from his relaxed position before placing his laptop aside.

He instantly walked over to his door. It wasn't locked, so she could've just entered if she wanted to. Quickly twisting the knob and opening it, he was met with her beautiful face.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked with excitement.

"Hi," she smiled up at him, taking him by complete surprise. She definitely topped the list for the best smile he has ever seen in his entire life.

"Um...what would you like for breakfast tomorrow?" she asked.

Unwillingly returning from his trance, he raised an interested eyebrow. "You don't have to make breakfast for me. I mean, you're not required to do that."

"You'll eat outside tomorrow?" she asked in confusion.

He shook his head. "No, I mean that you're free to do whatever you want. You're not obligated to do anything for me," he smiled.

"Ohhhh," she nodded in understanding. "But...I want to do it for you," she shyly told him. "...Can I?" she asked.

He watched in endearment as she gave him a lovely smile. His chest rose and fell a little unevenly as his heart started to race. "In that case...it's up to you. I'm not really that picky."

"Waffles?" she offered. "Or pancakes? Or is there anything you'd like?"

He thought for a moment. "Pancakes is fine."

She nodded. "Okay. Um. I'm sorry if I disturbed you," she said softly before retreating from the door. He shook his head, silently saying that there was no need to apologize.

"Stella?" he called when she turned away from him.

She instantly turned towards him. "Yes?"

"Good night," he smiled.

She shyly gave him a sweet smile that made his breath hitch. "Good night."

* * *

 **~ The Next Morning - 6:30 AM ~**

Brandon descended down the stairs, nearly dressed and ready for the day.

"Good morning," Stella said while greeting him from the bottom of the stairs.

He looked up and grinned back at her. "Good morning, Stella," he greeted in enthusiasm. She somehow seemed to be in a really good mood since a few days. He wondered if it was her visit to her mother last week that brought the change. Nonetheless, he sure as hell wasn't complaining.

"...Breakfast is ready," she pointed to the dining table.

"Thanks," he nodded before adjusting his tie and shirt cuffs.

Stella followed him to the table and stood beside him as he sat. His eyes widened when he saw a batch of about a dozen pancakes lying in front of him. He frowned a second later when he saw a big bowl of freshly cut, assorted fruits.

"Are these fruits a part of breakfast?" he frowned in distaste. "Really?"

"Why? Don't you like them?" she asked him back while filling his plate with them.

"In the mornings? Hell no," he grimaced while picking at the assorted fruit salad with a fork. "Stella, this is a _big_ no-no."

What happened next took him by complete surprise as a giggle left her lips. She laughed softly before putting in more fruits on his plate. He watched her in complete awe as her eyes temporarily shut close.

"You should eat healthier," she smiled down at him. "Or I can trade in fruits for veggies, if you'd like."

He grimaced even harder. "Is that a threat?" he playfully glared at her.

"No, it's a reality," she grinned back at him like it was the most natural thing to do.

He rolled his eyes playfully. "Aren't you gonna eat?" he said while gesturing for her to sit.

"I can eat later," she shrugged with a small smile.

"Eat all you want later, but you'll also eat right now," he ordered before pulling her down by her wrist in the chair next to him. She gasped slightly before composing herself.

A little hesitantly, she served herself mostly fruits and two pancakes. He watched her as she ate quietly.

"Will you come home for lunch?" she suddenly asked.

He thought for a moment. He turned to her with a small smirk. "Do you want me to?"

Seeing the snide grin on his face, she looked taken aback and a little spooked before a taint of red coated her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it that way-" she stammered before he interrupted her with a chuckle.

"Stop taking everything so seriously," he laughed. "I was just teasing you."

"Ohhhh."

"I probably won't come," he admitted. "So, if you need anything..." he trailed off suddenly. She didn't have a phone with her. How the hell will she even communicate with him?

"I'll come home for lunch," he said, changing his mind. There was no way in hell he was going to leave her alone for hours without having a way to check up on her.

"But please. Don't just randomly run off somewhere. Okay?" he asked.

She nodded.

"We need to get you a cellphone," he muttered to himself. "Also, make a list of what more we need for the kitchen. We'll go grocery shopping again."

"We?" she asked in confusion.

"You need to get out of the house more," he told her, earning a slow nod from her. She stared at her plate of food before frowning to herself.

He placed an assuring palm on top of her hand. "For how long will you stay inside? Hidden away from the world?" he asked her, making her look up at him.

"Do you even understand the situation you're in?" he asked softly. "Stella, people don't even know that you exist."

"And no, that's not your fault," he added quickly. Stella nodded slowly as he continued. "It's perfectly safe and if you don't like it, we'll return right away. Okay?"

She bit her lip slightly before looking up at him. "...Will y-you be there?" she asked.

He smiled before leaning in. "Of course I will. Who knows? Maybe you'll enjoy it too."

She nodded.

About forty minutes later, he finished his breakfast. Honestly, he's not the type of person to spend a long time on consumption of food. But...watching Stella and talking to her just...felt really great. She wasn't the most conversational person out there, _but_ she was making _SERIOUS_ progress. And to him, that's all he needed. He wanted her to be okay.

He stood at the front door, collecting his keys and other important stuff for office. "Bye," he smiled.

She had a faint smile on her lips. "Have a good day," she shyly waved.

"...You too," he nodded, a little disoriented by her mesmerizing smile. He turned around and left the house in a happy mood. His morning had been _SO_ much more pleasant than he had initially anticipated. It was almost enjoyable and he looked forward to times like that. He didn't speak much with her because she's such an introvert, but if this was how she's going to act, then he really had no problem with it.

He left to work on that day, unable to suppress the growing smile on his face.

For the first time ever in his entire twenty-six years of existence, he felt _free._

 _The freedom that his house didn't offer._

 _The freedom to...entertain the possibility of...falling in love and enjoying every single moment of it._

* * *

 _ **Preview for the next chapter...**_

 _"I never knew grocery shopping would be such a hassle," he grumbled under his breath._

 _..._

 _He chuckled at the amusing blonde. She refused any help from him. "Uh...Stella, the car's right here. You don't have to carry a hundred bags at once."_

 _She wheezed and panted. "I'll carry these hundred at once or die trying rather than making two trips."_

 _He shook his head as he picked up the trail of tomatoes she left on the way to the kitchen._

 _..._

 _"She can't be trusted," Heather snarled. "Look at her! She stole a thousand dollars right under your nose!"_

 _Sweat glistened on her forehead when she felt the four pairs of eyes on her._

 _..._

* * *

 **Hi, everybody! I'm so sorry if this chapter downright** _ **sucked,**_ **but I deleted half of the chapter and moved it to chapter 6 because the length was too long, I guess. And I didn't know where to cut off this chapter.**

 **If anyone is still interested, I'll see you in the next one :)**

 **Thank you and have a great day/night!**


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